Homemade Savory Or Sweet Fig Jam with chilies, garlic and bourbon or simply sweet fresh figs, makes for a flavor explosion in a rich dressing, sauce or jam.
Homemade Fig Jam
There is something undeniably luxurious about figs. Their honeyed sweetness, delicate seeds, and almost jammy texture make them one of nature’s most decadent fruits. And when you turn them into homemade fig jam? Magic happens.
This Homemade Savory or Sweet Fig Jam recipe gives you two irresistible directions to take those ripe, beautiful figs. You can lean into their natural sweetness for a classic, spoonable jam that melts into warm toast or swirls beautifully into yogurt. Or you can transform them into something bold and unforgettable, a savory fig jam infused with fresh chilies, garlic, and a splash of bourbon for depth and warmth.
Two Jams – One Fruit
The result is a flavor explosion that works far beyond breakfast. Spread it on crostini with cheese, whisk it into a rich salad dressing, glaze roasted meats, spoon it over grilled vegetables, or serve it as a show-stopping addition to your charcuterie board.
Whether sweet or savory, this fig jam is simple to make and endlessly versatile, the kind of recipe you’ll come back to every fig season.
Fresh Figs
I love planting a fig tree, but it requires patience since it doesn’t harvest a crop of fruit for nearly three years. Do I think it’s worth the wait? I absolutely think its worth the wait.
Fresh figs can be used in so many different recipes. My favorites can be found here, though I am continuing to create new recipes every year with my fig harvest.Â
- Fish In Fig Leaves – The finale dish I prepared on PBS cooking show with salmon wrapped in fresh fig leaves, a drizzle of spicy hot savory fig jam and a few veggies, roasted in under 15-minutes.
- Almond And Oat Fig Tart – The finale dessert I prepared on The Great American Recipe with PBS made in an oat and almond crust, with a boozy custard filling, and topped with fresh figs.
- Pecan Yeast Bread Fig Bruschetta – Who doesn’t love a toasted slice of homemade bread, a spread of mascarpone, topped with fresh figs!
- Beet and Endive Salad With Fig Dressing Another finale recipe that went on the finale plate alongside Fish in a Fig Leaf, with roasted gold and red beets, cut into confetti and served in an endive leaf with a fig dressing.
- Fig And Rum Walnut Pie – A walnut crust simply made into a small tart with a rum custard, topped with fresh figs.
Finale Savory Fig Jam For Television
Surely you saw my Fig Finale in the summertime of 2022. This exciting opportunity, on The Great American Recipe on PBS, gave me the opportunity to showcase so many of my favorite recipes on television. Â
I made it to the finale and for that, I knew I wanted to feature figs in as many ways as possible, if I was to cook in the finale.
Family Fig Finale
What a fabulous finale it was! My favorite fig recipes (some of the above), were prepared by my son Tomio Daumit and myself.
The producers kept it a surprise, bringing a family member in the kitchen to cook for the finale with us. We all had a blast and cooked our very best, as though at home!
You may have missed the series during the busy summer months, but it can be seen through the PBS website or app.
Savory Hot Fig Jam
My spicy hot fig jam is what I prepared for the PBS special Fig Finale and with the salmon, it was fig-tastic!
Surely duck, pork, lamb and even chicken are ingredients you will find pair perfectly with the spicy hot fig jam as a sauce.
Though undoubedly a Mediterranean tapas spread, with goat cheese or brie and homemade bread or homemade crackers with fig jam will get your attention if meat is not your thing!
Bourbon Sweet Fig Homemade Jam
My morning toast, loves a schmear of fig jam to start the day in the lazy days of August and September. Come evening’s dessert, simply drizzle a little sweet fig jam over vanilla ice cream!
Do you make Homemade yeast bread or Pita Bread? It would be delicious with sweet fig jam spread across the bread dough and rolled to bake with the jam inside.Â
How To Make Homemade Fig Jam – Savory Hot or Sweet
I find it such an easy jam to make and you will too. Farmer’s markets, grocery stores, maybe even your neighbors are all heavy ladened with fresh figs by the end of August.Â
- First, wash the figs and cut the stems off. Pat the figs dry.
- Secondly, simply rough chop the figs and place in a medium size saucepan. Add the ingredients for either the sweet or hot jam, simmer about 20-minutes and cool.
- Lastly, puree and transfer into airtight containers to either keep in the fridge for about a week, or in the freezer to use all winter.
Fig jam – hot or sweet, freezes beautifully to use for off-season cooking of many fig recipes.
More Homemade Jam You Are Sure To Love
Depending on the season, I love to make a fresh fruit jam to incorporate into lots of recipes. Here are just a few others I’m sure you will love!
- Strawberry Thyme Jam – A balance of sweet and sour, with the earthiness of thyme.
- Orange Blossom Marmalade – Orange rinds, pulp, juice and the essence of the orange blossoms.
A Little Fig Secret – They’re Actually a Flower
Here’s something that makes figs even more fascinating, they aren’t technically a fruit at all. Figs are actually a flower.
What we call a fig is a syconium, a unique structure that holds hundreds of tiny flowers tucked inside its soft, teardrop-shaped body. Those delicate little seeds you feel when you bite into a fresh fig? Each one developed from an individual flower. In other words, when you eat a fig, you’re enjoying an entire bouquet.
This hidden-flower structure is part of what gives fresh figs their luscious, honeyed texture and naturally jammy consistency, making them perfect for homemade fig jam, whether sweet or savory. Their floral sweetness pairs beautifully with sugar and balsamic vinegar, while also standing up to bold flavors like chili peppers, garlic, and bourbon.
Figs Have an Ancient History
Figs are also one of the oldest cultivated foods in the world, treasured for thousands of years across the Mediterranean and the Middle East as symbols of abundance, nourishment, and prosperity. There is something quietly beautiful about preserving them in jam, like bottling up a bit of harvest season and carrying its richness forward.
Turning a flower into jam feels poetic somehow. A small act of preserving summer before it slips away.
Tools You’ll Need to Make Homemade Fig Jam
- Cutting Board – A sturdy cutting board gives you a stable surface for prepping fresh figs, chili peppers, and garlic for this easy homemade fig jam recipe.
- Sharp Chopping Knife – A sharp knife makes slicing ripe figs clean and effortless, helping maintain their texture before cooking. Precision cuts also ensure even cooking and a smoother fig jam consistency.
- Saucepan – A medium saucepan is essential for simmering your sweet or savory fig jam. Slow cooking allows the figs, sugar, balsamic vinegar, bourbon, and spices to reduce naturally into a thick, glossy jam, no pectin required.
- Food processor or blender – If you prefer a smoother fig jam, a quick pulse in the food processor creates a more uniform texture. Leave it chunky for a rustic, artisan-style spread. A small, affordable 3-cup processor makes the job fast and easy
- Measuring tools – Accurate measuring cups and spoons help balance sweetness, acidity, and heat, especially important when making savory fig jam with chilies and garlic.
- Airtight containers – such as the 16 0z. Mason jars. They preserve freshness, maintain flavor, and make your jam gift-ready for the holidays or fig season entertaining.
Ingredients for Homemade Fig Jam (Sweet or Savory)
- Fresh Figs – Fresh, ripe figs are the star of this homemade fig jam recipe. Their natural sweetness, soft texture, and tiny seeds create that classic jammy consistency without needing excessive sugar. Choose deeply colored, tender figs for the richest flavor.
- Bourbon – A splash of bourbon adds warmth, depth, and subtle caramel notes to savory fig jam. As it cooks down, the alcohol evaporates, leaving behind a smooth, slightly smoky richness that enhances the natural sweetness of the figs.
- Balsamic Vinegar – Balsamic vinegar balances the sweetness of the figs and sugar with bright acidity. It deepens the overall flavor profile, making this fig jam perfect for cheese boards, roasted meats, or salad dressings.
- Sugar – Sugar enhances the figs’ natural sweetness and helps create the thick, spreadable jam texture. It also acts as a natural preservative, giving your homemade fig jam structure and shine.
- Chili Peppers & Garlic (For Savory Fig Jam) – Fresh chili peppers bring gentle heat and complexity, while garlic adds savory depth. Together, they transform sweet fig jam into a bold, sweet-and-spicy condiment that pairs beautifully with brie, goat cheese, pork, or grilled vegetables.
- Salt – A small pinch of salt sharpens all the flavors, balancing sweetness and highlighting the savory notes in this sweet or savory fig jam recipe.
Homemade Savory or Sweet Fig Jam
Equipment
- Small food processor or blender
- 16 oz. Mason jar
- Medium saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 cups Fresh Figs rough chopped
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1/4 cup Bourbon
- 3 Garlic cloves for savory jam
- 4 Chili peppers, small for savory jam
- 2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
Instructions
- For the Sweet jam only, place the figs, sugar and bourbon in a medium saucepan and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. Cool and puree.
- For the Hot jam add the figs, sugar and bourbon to the saucepan along with the garlic, chili peppers, balsamic vinegar and salt. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. Cool and puree.
Video
Notes
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.
This fig jam is absolutely amazing. I made both the sweet and the savory and love them both but the savory one is wonderful on pork chops, with cheese, and just eaten out of the jar! Thanks for the recipes. I may try adding some cinnamon and/or cardamom to the sweet one. I have more figs and half a bottle of bourbon so why not!
WOW, this recipe brings an adventurous romance and delectable flavor!! I love fresh figs, and this blend is truly special, Robin.