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Fig jam is easy to make homemade! It’s also a favorite Lebanese preserve, with aromatic anise spice. Use it on a charcuterie board for a gourmet spread or simply enjoy with crackers, flatbread, or toast.
I had an unexpected taste of this homemade jam when I was at the home of one of our local Lebanese saj bread masters, there to learn more about how to throw the dough years ago. She pulled out jars of good things as she made a simple, marvelous lunch for us. I asked her all about one of the best things on the table, fig jam, which is a part of the extensive Lebanese practice of preserves, or mouneh. It’s an simple fig jam recipe to make, using dried figs cooked in simple syrup. The flavors are beautifully bloomed with anise. The texture is chunky and nutty with toasted walnuts in the mix.
Ingredient Notes
- Dried Figs: There are essentially two styles of dried figs readily available: Black Mission figs, known for their deep, rich flavor, or Calimyrna figs, which are lighter in color and more plump. These may have a slight crystallization on them, which is normal. This recipe is not for fresh ripe figs, though you can make jam with those too in fig season!
- Anise: This flavor is like black licorice, and one that pairs beautifully with figs and nuts in this recipe. Learn more about anise in my post about it. If it’s not your “jam!”, you can leave it out and substitute with a cinnamon stick or vanilla bean (remove after cooking), a teaspoon of ground cinnamon or a combination of warm spices such as cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. A splash of vanilla is also good.
- Sugar: Sugar, water and freshly squeezed lemon juice make a simple syrup that the figs cook in and become soft and jammy. The amount of sugar is important to the amount of figs and nuts in the recipe. The lemon juice brightens everything and helps activate pectin for thickening. Sugar helps the preservation process and aids in creating that sweet, sticky jam.
- Walnuts: These. toasted, balance the sweetness of the jam and add wonderful texture. Be sure to toast them first for even more flavor and a light texture.
Tips for Best Results
- Chopping Figs: Cut figs into smaller pieces to soften the jam and speed up the cooking process. Smaller pieces of chopped figs also yield a smoother jam, which is visually appealing and spreads easily. My jam recipe yields a chunky jam; if you prefer a completely smooth jam, you can process the figs in a food processor with a little water to create a paste before adding them to the simple syrup. If you do that, you may want to set aside extra figs, chop those, and add them during the cooking process for a little texture.
- Cooking Process: Be sure the sugar dissolves completely in the water before adding the figs. to reduce the heat and allow the figs to cook in the syrup and soften. Once they are softer, use a potato masher to break them down further. Use a large or wooden spoon to stir and release their jammy centers and natural juices.
Delicious Variations
Fig jam’s rich flavor profile allows for endless creativity and variation:
- Orange Zest: Infuse your jam with orange zest for a citrusy twist that complements both sweet and savory dishes.
- Honey and Thyme: Swapping out a portion of the sugar for honey and adding fresh thyme makes for a sophisticated jam ideal for a cheese board featuring strong cheeses like blue cheese or goat cheese.
- Balsamic Vinegar or Pomegranate Molasses: A few drops of balsamic vinegar or pomegranate molasses added in the last minutes of cooking can introduce a tangy depth to your fig jam.
Storage Information
- Sterilization and Sealing: Before transferring hot jam to jars, ensure your jars are sterilized using either a microwave oven or a dishwasher in the hot cycle. Spoon the hot jam into hot jars and let cool at room temperature. No need to seal, but you can seal if you like.
- Canning Process: This is optional! For long-term shelf storage, you can process your jars of jam in a hot water bath canning method. This involves placing sealed jars in enough water to cover them by at least an inch and boiling for the recommended processing time.
- Cool Storage: Once cool, store the jars in a dark place. Refrigerate after opening.
Enjoying Your Homemade Fig Jam
There’s no shortage of ways to enjoy this jam!
- Breakfast: Spread on morning toast or eat with flatbread or pita
- Cheese Pairings: Elevate a cheese platter by pairing fig jam with a selection of strong cheeses such as brie or cheddar. Its sweet and complex flavor is a great addition that complements the savory.
- Gifting: Homemade fig jam makes a really nice gift. You could include with a handwritten recipe card too.
Fig Jam Recipe
This jam is made using dried figs, walnuts, and anise for a traditional Lebanese preserve.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups granulated sugar, or cane sugar
- ¾ cup water
- 1 lemon
- 4 cups coarsely chopped dried figs
- 2 cups toasted walnuts, chopped
- 3 tablespoons aniseed
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium, and cook until slightly syrupy, 5 minutes.
- Add the chopped figs, reduce the heat to medium low, and continue cooking until the mixture is thick and the figs are softening, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and use a potato masher to soften the figs as it continues to cook for another 10 minutes.
- Remove the figs from the heat and stir in the chopped nuts and aniseed.
- Spoon the jam into clean jars and store at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Calories: 852kcal | Carbohydrates: 146g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 23g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 16mg | Potassium: 1100mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 119g | Vitamin A: 37IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 270mg | Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!
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I thought it was going to be with fresh figs! If you’re lucky enough to live where there is an abundance of them! Probably would be delicious, too!
Fresh fig jam is so good too! The jam with dried figs is very traditional Lebanese-style and quite delectable!!
Opps. 5 8 oz jars. Not 8. And, now the story: I am a coffee addict, born in Pennsylvania and raised in rural Georgia to a family originating on the Lower East Side of New York City. I grind and cook the roasted beans that I get from Aroma Ridge in Marietta, GA. It is owned and operated as a family business, with BABA as lead roaster. BABA, and all of his family are from Lebanon, via Jamaica. I make jam and, as a thank you for the wonderful coffee that I have been getting for over 30 years I have sent several jars of Lebanese fig jam to my friends at Aroma Ridge. I share their joys (and misery when they speak of their family in Lebanon). I hope that they liked your recipe. I will make more if they approve (and, as you know, their approval and that of family members in Lebanon, to whom they often ship things that they like) is absolutely required. And, if they send me the appropriate signal I will up you to 5 stars!
That is just so neat Donald! Thank you for sharing your note hearing and your jam with special friends.
Opps. 5 8 oz jars. Not 8.
Got dry figs from Costco, 2.4 lbs. Chopping dry figs takes time and is a bit messy. cut off stems. Makes about 8 8 oz. jars (with a bit left over). Did not use sesame seeds or mastic gum. Sterilized jars, lids, etc. Toasted walnuts, anise seed, cane sugar, filtered water, bit of citric acid and about 20% of cup lemon juice. Cooking time may depend on how stiff you want the final product to be. As I did it, this fig jam (preserve) would work wonderfully with brie, goat cheese, cream cheese, bland crackers and a really nice dry wine or flavored tea, etc.
Wonderful!!
Hi. My labne balls just went into the fridge for overnight before moving them to oil. Can’t wait.
One way or another, I’m going to make this fig jam today! Do you soak the walnuts before toasting them?
Thank you for sharing how to make all this wonderful food.
Thank you so much Elizabeth! I don’t soak before toasting the nuts!
Just like my mother used to make. Great recipe.
Beautiful, thank you!!
I am in the process of making fig jam today for the first time. But now what I’m also interested in is getting a good recipe for labne balls. I know it can’t be that hard to do I guess I’m not sure what kind of oil to preserve them in. I know my Sitto made them & they were so delicious! Labne balls with some good homemade bread yummy!!
Rene, labne balls are soooo good! Try my recipe here!
Did you happen to get the recipe for the flat bread? I have been looking for it for years!!!
Tracey…thanks for asking! Yes, and I am planning to publish it as I refine the process. Please stay tuned!
Hi Maureen! I’ve looked high and low on instructions to make bread like this since the Middle Eastern market where my Sitto used to buy it closed.. this is the closest I’ve come! Thank you for watching the process. I am crossing my fingers that it will eventually be a success for you and the skill can be shared 🙂
Have you managed to prepare the marqooq? We’re looking forward to the recipe 🙂
Soon, Lara, soon!!!
Maureen,
In 2006 I went with my husband to Sydney AU to meet the first cousins I never knew I had. They were the children of my mother’s half-brother whom she never met. The boy had to be left in Lebanon as an infant as his father died before his birth and he was “property” of his father’s family after his birth. My grandmother was not allowed to see him, etc. She came to the U.S. to be with her brother with the promise that the priest would go back for the child. She never saw him again. He never saw or knew his mother or his sisters. She married who would be my grandfather and had two little girls, my mother and her sister. Sitto died when my mother and aunt were 5 and 6 years old. My mother always said she died of a broken heart. My mother longed for her all the days of her life. My mom died at age 90. In an effort to find her brother I posted on internet sites. One year after my mother passed (her sister had been gone for many years) I received a call from AU. It was from my mother’s great nephew and niece. I knew immediately that they were “mine”. My husband and I visited them about a year later. When I saw them waiting for us it was like 100 years rushing into my heart. It was divine intervention as all of our parents had passed and were together in the hereafter. My most wonderful memory of that trip, and one of the best of my life was the day I spent with my cousin Georgette making bread on the saj. She is an expert! I still cry today when I think of it. They have modified her wood burning saj to propane and she does it in an outside room, hundreds of loaves at a time. I wish we lived closer so that I could learn her technique. Thank you for sharing your stories and recipes. I’m not much on commenting but this brought back so many memories. Next on my bucket list is to visit our village in Lebanon with my husband as he is also Lebanese. God bless you. Nora
Oh Nora, you’ve given me chills of joy and sorrow with your beautiful story. How thrilling to connect with your family after so long and so many tribulations. And how special that your cousin is a master of the flatbreads! Bless you all!
Question: How do I modify this recipe if I’m using fresh figs instead of dried figs? Also, I loved the picture with the bread cooking. My grandmother always liked making bread at our house because the bottom burner in the oven had a metal plate on it! She taught me how to toss the dough using a damp dish towel cut in the shape of a circle!
Hi, I love that story. I have a cousin who used to make the bread and sell it. She refuses to share the recipe or show the rest of us how to do it, and our aunts who used to make it are all gone. I would love it if you could please post the recipe for the bread and your techniques you learned. I would love to pass on the tradition to other cousins who are interested. I did a search on your site but was not able to find it.
thanks so much!
Patti
Patti, thank you for your comments. I’m working on the bread and hope to share soon! So true that it is a dying art…
My wife and I have started making this bread recently so we loved your post. what are the chances of sharing her bread recipe. I’ll get my wife to post her recipe. we buy our fig jame from a lebanese grocer and after your post I looked at the “ingredients” and sure enough they add Anise. Mind you we have to add our own walnuts but I’ll try roasting them next time.. great stories.
Paul, that is so great that you and your wife make this bread. I will look forward to hearing your recipe and tips. As soon as I have it mastered well enough to share, I will be posting my recipe and technique, absolutely!! Thank you for sharing!
Maureen, brings back heavenly memories–I can see my Mother now, 60 years after the fact, all of the family out in the back yard, picking the figs, and my Mother at the sink washing them, and them cutting the figs, and making big pots of jam on her very ancient stove, with one burner sterilizing the glass jars in another large pot of boiling water. I can still recall he aroma of the figs simmering with the anise. You keep the legends alive! Beautiful column, as always.
Made with fresh figs (from your OWN yard)! How wonderful! I will try it, thank you Diane,, for sharing your memories.
Bakers making breads like this are true artisans. You now have the responsibility of keeping the tradition alive. You also have the skills and the desire. Clearly you are the right woman for the job. Please keep us appraised!
Right on, Greg! Gonna DO IT!
Oh what memories you stirred up. I get my bread from my Aunt Dorothy in California…she still bakes and sends me frozen bread that will last me a few months. But, did you know that my sister Geri bakes and throws the bread and she does a good job. She is my go to bread maker, cause I usually loose it on the floor. You and she should have a bread baking day. How awesome would that be. And, of course god bless Naemi for opening her home and teaching you. She is one of the best ! My Aunt Dorothy and my Aunt Jenny also make the Fig Jam. Yummmmm, I think I need to request a jar…I am out!
Loved this post Maureen.
Janet, I had no IDEA that Geri bakes flatbread!! Wow wow wow, what a treasure. This is great news. I would love to have a baking day with her if she would have me!!
Sitto is beaming with pride Maureen and would NEVER want you to give up trying to master flat bread.
Every one of us is in your corner, cheering you on. And dearest cousin, you will succeed!! God Bless Naemi for spending time with you and teaching you her secrets. But there’s nothing like the challenge of being told YOU can’t do something…..You Go Girl! Get baking and throw that flat bread !
Ah Celine, you are my partner in baking! Thank you cousin for the cheers of encouragement!! You KNOW it!!
I love that you went and baked with her! Mom is going to be so excited!
It was just awesome G.!! You should have seen her throwing the dough!!