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Delicious Homemade Fig Jam Recipe with Vanilla Bean and Lemon Zest

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A quick and easy fig jam recipe combining fresh figs, fragrant vanilla bean, and bright lemon zest for a perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors. Ideal for spreading on toast, gifting, or pairing with cheese.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 pounds (900 grams) fresh figs, ripe but firm
  • 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 whole vanilla bean pod, split and scraped
  • Zest of 1 medium lemon
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) water

Instructions

  1. Rinse the figs gently, remove stems, and chop into quarters or eighths depending on size (about 2 pounds / 900 grams).
  2. Using a sharp knife, split the vanilla bean pod lengthwise and scrape out the tiny seeds. Set both pod and seeds aside.
  3. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, add chopped figs, sugar, water, vanilla seeds and pod, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stir gently to combine.
  4. Place the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Cook for about 10 minutes until sugar dissolves and figs soften.
  5. Reduce heat to low and let the mixture simmer gently, stirring every few minutes, for 30-40 minutes until the jam thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
  6. Remove the vanilla pod and discard. Taste the jam and add a splash more lemon juice if it’s too sweet.
  7. Test for doneness by placing a small spoonful of jam onto a chilled plate; let it cool for a minute and push with your finger. If it wrinkles slightly, it’s ready. If too runny, cook longer, checking every 5 minutes.
  8. Pour the hot jam into sterilized glass jars, leaving about 1/4 inch (6 mm) headspace. Seal immediately and let cool to room temperature before refrigerating.

Notes

Use ripe but firm figs to avoid mushy jam. Stir gently to keep some fig texture unless a smoother jam is preferred. Test jam set with chilled plate test. Store refrigerated up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 3 months. Vanilla extract can substitute vanilla bean (1 tsp added at end). For low sugar, reduce sugar and add chia seeds to thicken.

Nutrition

Keywords: fig jam, homemade jam, vanilla bean, lemon zest, fruit preserves, easy jam recipe, fig preserves

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