Fig Jam

[sardonicus87]

I have a black mission fig tree and I've never gotten so many from the breba crop before. They're a tad under-ripe, but this is basically when I have to get them before the birds, squirrels and bugs do. I think all the constant rain has helped keep them at bay. I'm hoping this is a sign that I'll finally get a good main crop in September/October.

Anyway, I decided to make jam because as much as I love figs, I can't eat this many at once.

Wasn't sure which size jar I needed and didn't want to sterilize more than one, so I went with the larger of the two. I also should have used a saucepan instead of this frying pan, it cooked much faster than I anticipated.

Just waiting on it to cool down now.

 

[OzPiper]

 

[JOHN72]

Magnificent photos. I love that fruit. I love fig jams and desserts.

 

[FLDRD]

I have several fig bushes and this particular year it appears that I'm on pace to have my best production volume in the 9 years since I planted them. We love them and I give many away when they're ripe but eat loads as well. Never made any jam or similar but if we get more this year my wife just may do so. She did some with plums and peaches already. Soon to be followed by apples, pears, and then the figs.

 

[Gerald Boone]

I have a black mission fig tree and I've never gotten so many from the breba crop before. They're a tad under-ripe, but this is basically when I have to get them before the birds, squirrels and bugs do. I think all the constant rain has helped keep them at bay. I'm hoping this is a sign that I'll finally get a good main crop in September/October.

Anyway, I decided to make jam because as much as I love figs, I can't eat this many at once.

Wasn't sure which size jar I needed and didn't want to sterilize more than one, so I went with the larger of the two. I also should have used a saucepan instead of this frying pan, it cooked much faster than I anticipated.

Just waiting on it to cool down now.

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Looks beautiful and tasty I too have one of those new composite pans which are expensive but easily outclass any other pans. Looks like that pan and your attention to cooking carefully yielded magnificent results.

 

[sardonicus87]

Looks beautiful and tasty I too have one of those new composite pans which are expensive but easily outclass any other pans. Looks like that pan and your attention to cooking carefully yielded magnificent results.

I thought so until this morning.

I think I over-cooked it. Once the jar cooled, I stuck it in the fridge. This morning, it's almost hard as a rock.

I should have used the saucepan and maybe a little lower heat.

It still tastes good though. Got the jar in a bowl of hot water to see if I can't get it softened.

 

[Gerald Boone]

I thought so until this morning.

I think I over-cooked it. Once the jar cooled, I stuck it in the fridge. This morning, it's almost hard as a rock.

I should have used the saucepan and maybe a little lower heat.

It still tastes good though. Got the jar in a bowl of hot water to see if I can't get it softened.

Let me know if you rescued the jam, fingers crossed.

 

[Sigmund]

Our fig tree is old and pretty large. It looks like we will have a bumper crop this year. Hopefully they are good.

Im just not sure what I will do with them. They are good to eat but Im not fond of fig jam, neither is my wife.

We will have to dig through recipies to find something. Of course they also are not difficult to give away.

 

[dottlejockey]

Fig jam/spread is amazing on a fine french triple cream cheese...especially with a nice chilled glass of Sancere or Riesling Kabinett!

 

[sardonicus87]

Let me know if you rescued the jam, fingers crossed.

A little, it's not rock hard, but really much closer to soft candy.

If I can get it out of the jar, I might slice it into flakes and eat it on crackers. Definitely not going to be spreadable, but it's still eatable and good.

I might also just get some steel-cut oats and make some bars with it, like if I can get it melted and sticky and let it re-solidify.

It definitely tastes like fig jam though.

 

[sardonicus87]

Our fig tree is old and pretty large. It looks like we will have a bumper crop this year. Hopefully they are good.

Im just not sure what I will do with them. They are good to eat but Im not fond of fig jam, neither is my wife.

We will have to dig through recipies to find something. Of course they also are not difficult to give away.

You could make compote and put it on steak? I'm actually thinking about making some into a compote next time and saving it, should be amazing on rabbit. My wife doesn't like sweet mixed with her meat though (like not even honey ham).

I'm still thinking of what to do with them other than jam (which I do like, especially on club crackers rather than toast).

I'm also thinking of home-made Fig Newton type bars.

Normally I just eat them straight off the tree because I usually only get 2-3 due to the rest being wrecked by birds and bugs (I've tried netting and other things, doesn't stop them). Ours is I think 4 or 5 years old now? I think I also need to fertilize with phosphorus (we have really shit soil here).

The main crop on the tree now looks like it will be a pretty big haul if I can get them. I pinched off the rest of the breba that was bug gotten.

 

[RL Bucktails]

Nice, I love fresh figs. I have some cuttings from my dads trees after he passed that I’m hoping to plant.

 

[RL Bucktails]

It could be good on steak and burgers, etc. You could also mix it with some bacon like a bacon jam for meats.

 

[mortonbriar]

Looks good! My little fig tree is just a couple of years old, but my nana used to make a delicious fig and ginger jam from her crop.

 

[The Benedictine]

Oh I'm jealous. I love figs. Might have to get a tree and plant it here. We do have a persimmon tree and I'm excited to try them. Also a thing called a paw-paw tree. Not sure what it is but my sister said it's delicious.

 

[OzPiper]

We do have a persimmon tree and I'm excited to try them. Also a thing called a paw-paw tree. Not sure what it is but my sister said it's delicious.

There are astringent and non-astringent species of persimmons. You can eat the non-astringent ones before they are fully ripe, but wait for the astringent ones to be fully ripe before eating.
Tree-ripened persimmons are a rare treat - the birds get to them first usually.

Paw-paw or papayas are tropical. The nicest ones are the red- or orange-fleshed varieties. Feed the yellow ones to the chooks (chickens) or pigs.

 

[Ahi Ka]

Fig jam with aniseed in it is my favourite. Especially when paired with blue cheese.

 

[The Benedictine]

There are astringent and non-astringent species of persimmons. You can eat the non-astringent ones before they are fully ripe, but wait for the astringent ones to be fully ripe before eating.
Tree-ripened persimmons are a rare treat - the birds get to them first usually.

Paw-paw or papayas are tropical. The nicest ones are the red- or orange-fleshed varieties. Feed the yellow ones to the chooks (chickens) or pigs.

These are the paw-paws I'm talking about. Their native to the USA.

 

[sardonicus87]

Oh I'm jealous. I love figs. Might have to get a tree and plant it here. We do have a persimmon tree and I'm excited to try them. Also a thing called a paw-paw tree. Not sure what it is but my sister said it's delicious.

You might need to do extra work to get them to ripe in Indiana. It's not impossible, people do it in New York even. Might have to go out and paint the fig eyes with olive oil. There's other methods that encourage ripening in cooler climates, I just don't know them because it's a non-issue here being in zone 9b climate that acts like a 10a in the summer.

Make sure you get a variety that is self-pollinating or whatever (like a black mission or brown turkey, not sure what others are). Some need male and female and fig wasps to make fruit, those aren't usually the ones sold in nurseries though.

This is my fig tree (black mission fig):

 

[huntertrw]

They are good to eat but Im not fond of fig jam, neither is my wife.

You might try the proverbial Figgy Pudding. Here is a link to a recipe. I hope that you and your Missus find it to your liking!