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How To Make Mandarin And Fig Jam
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Our Mandarin and Fig Jam is a simple preserve that celebrates the intersection of California’s bountiful fig harvest with bright, freshly squeezed mandarin oranges. The result? A jam that’s delightful on morning toast but can also add depth to charcuterie boards and desserts.
Celebrating California’s Sun-Kissed Fig Season
California figs are more than just sweet morsels—they are a union of ideal soil conditions, the right amount of sunlight, and meticulous farming practices from passionate farmers. Fresh figs are primarily in season from May through November, while dried figs are available all year long.
Gettin’ Figgy With It! Our Favorite Dried & Fresh Fig Recipes
It’s officially fig season, so you are probably looking for lots of new-to-you fresh fig recipes to try! Whether you are into sweet or savory fig preparations, this is the ultimate fresh fig recipe round-up for you.
Click here for more recipes featuring California figs!
Step-by-Step How to Make Mandarin Fig Jam
Making this fig jam recipe is easier than you think! Simply follow the steps below for guaranteed success every single time you make this decadent jam.
- Prepping the Figs: After stemming, cut the figs into uniform 1/2-inch pieces. This ensures even cooking and a smoother texture.
- Sugaring the Figs: By letting the fig pieces sit with sugar, we draw out their juices, which will contribute to the jam’s syrupy base.
- Cooking Process: The addition of mandarin juice and water, followed by slow cooking, breaks down the fruits and marries the flavors together. Watch for the transformation: from distinct fig pieces to a unified, thick jam.
- Storage Secrets: Transfer the hot jam into sterilized jars, ensuring a small gap at the top. Sealing while hot creates a vacuum, thus preserving the jam’s freshness.
How To Tell If The Jam is Finished Cooking
Sometimes it can be tricky to know whether your jam is fully set. Here is our foolproof method for determining if our jam is done cooling or not.
At the beginning of the cooking time place a small plate in the freezer. Once you think your jam has reached its setting point or has thickened, spoon a bit on the cold plate and tilt it vertically so the jam runs. You are aiming for a slow descent, not a runny mess. If it runs slow, it’s set!
Hungry For More Recipes with California Figs? We’ve Got Ya Covered!
Take advantage of fresh fig season to its fullest while it’s here by treating yourself to any or all of the recipes below.
Almond-Fig Upside Down Lemon-Olive Oil Cake
Look, there are cakes, and then there’s this fig cake—a no-nonsense tribute to California’s delicate flower of the fruit world.
Click here for this recipe with fresh figs!
Vanilla Bean, Fig, and Mandarin Sparkling Wine Cocktail
This delightful wine-based cocktail is the perfect recipe for fig season. It’s not overly sweet and is delightfully delicate on the palette.
Click here for this recipe with fresh figs!
Berry Fig Tart
This tart recipe is made with a California Grown walnut studded crust that is baked to perfection then filled with honey-spiked goat cheese and topped with peak-season blackberries and sultry fresh figs.
Click here for this recipe with fresh figs.
Fresh Fig Compote and an Easy Crème Brûlée Recipe
Have you been looking for an easy crème brûlée recipe to try at home? This is it! Rich, decadent, Lemon and White Chocolate Crème Brûlée sits atop a fresh fig compote that evokes childlike nostalgia with every spoonful. This dessert is reminiscent of the fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt cups you loved as a kid but with a mature dessert spin for your sophisticated palate.
Click here for this recipe with fresh figs!
Baked Oatmeal and Fig Stuffed Pears
These tender baked pears have a surprise hidden underneath their baked oatmeal top, a perfectly roasted fig half! On its own, this dish isn’t super sweet; it’s more savory with a hint of maple or honey. If you prefer a sweeter final product, drizzle with maple or honey at the table.
Click here for this recipe with fresh figs!
Fresh Fig and Grape Salad with Crispy Shallots
Leafy greens are lightly dressed in an irresistibly bright California honey + mustard vinaigrette. Then piled high with a combination of crisp grapes, fresh and dried figs, crispy shallots, pistachios, and briny feta.
Click here for this recipe with fresh figs!
Have you made our Mandarin Fig Jam? SHARE YOUR FIG JAM CREATIONS BY POSTING A PHOTO AND TAGGING US ON SOCIAL MEDIA USING #CAGROWN.
Mandarin Fig Jam
Ingredients
- 2 pounds green or purple figs stemmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh mandarin juice
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- In a large, nonreactive saucepan, toss the fig pieces with the sugar and let stand, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until the sugar is mostly dissolved, and the figs are juicy.
- Add the mandarin juice and water and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Simmer the fig jam over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is soft, and the liquid runs off the side of a spoon in thick, heavy drops, about 20 minutes.
- Spoon the jam into three 1/2-pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch of space at the top.
- Close the jars and let cool to room temperature. Store the jam in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.