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Fig canning recipes are a way to hold onto a fleeting harvest, since fresh figs bruise easily and only last a few days once they’re ripe. In California and other warm climates, they come in by the bucketload, and canning is an excellent way to put up that honeyed flavor before it goes to waste.
A handful of fresh figs is a treat, but a whole tree at peak ripeness is more than most of us can eat in time.
There’s plenty you can do with a fig in a jar. You can can them whole in a light syrup, cook them into jam and old-fashioned preserves, simmer them into jelly or syrup, or turn them savory with pickles and chutney. They all sit alongside the rest of my fruit canning recipes, ready for winter.
Before you start, it’s worth understanding why figs need a little extra attention at the canner, which comes down to their acidity.
Are Figs Safe for Canning?
Figs are safe to can, with one important catch. They sit right on the line between high-acid and low-acid foods, around 4.6 on the pH scale, which is borderline for water bath canning on their own.
That’s why every tested fig recipe adds acid, usually bottled lemon juice or citric acid, to bring them into safe territory. With that acid in place, figs process in a water bath canner like any other fruit. It isn’t a step to skip, but if you’d rather not add lemon, you can make any of these as a small batch and keep it in the refrigerator instead.
Canning Figs
Canning figs whole in a light syrup keeps them closest to fresh, ready to spoon over yogurt and ice cream or fold into baking. The bottled lemon juice goes right into each jar, a tablespoon per pint or two per quart, which is what makes them safe on the shelf.
Figs are dense, so the processing times run longer than most fruit, at 45 minutes for pints. It’s worth the wait for jars that hold their shape and flavor through the year.
Fig Jam & Preserves
Fig jam is where most people start, and for good reason. The fruit cooks down into something thick and honeyed, and figs carry enough natural pectin that you can get a nice set by reducing the jam rather than adding a box of pectin.
Preserves take it a step further, keeping the figs whole in a thick, honey-like syrup. The one I reach for most is my basic fig jam recipe for canning, but there are all manner of ways to get creative, from herb and red wine versions to combinations with other fruit.
- Classic Fig Jam
- Fig, Rosemary & Red Wine Jam
- Fig and Pear Jam
- Fig and Strawberry Preserves with Gelatin (I know, gelatin is a strange add, but this is a southern classic, so the NCHFP tested this recipe specifically)
- Brandied Shallot and Fig Preserves (not online yet, but you can find it in The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving, pg 110)
Fig Jelly
Fig jelly strains out the seeds and skins for a smooth, clear spread that captures the fruit’s honeyed flavor without any texture. It’s lovely on toast or a cheese board, and it makes a quick glaze brushed over pork or chicken.
I’m still testing my fig jelly recipe to get the set and the acidity right, so I don’t have it ready to share just yet. Check back soon, and I’ll add it here once it’s been through its paces.
Pickled Figs
Pickled figs swing the fruit toward savory, balancing its sweetness with vinegar and warm spices. The vinegar brings plenty of acid on its own, so these process in a water bath like any other pickle, no extra lemon juice required.
They’re a standout on a cheese board or next to roast pork and game, and a splash of balsamic gives them real depth. You’ll find them at home with the rest of my fruit pickling recipes.
Fig Chutney
Fig chutney leans fully savory, simmering the fruit with vinegar, onion, and warm spices into a thick condiment somewhere between a pickle and a jam. It’s made for a cheese board, a sandwich, or alongside roast pork, chicken, or game.
The vinegar is what makes chutney safe to water bath can, so stick to a tested recipe and keep the proportions as written rather than improvising on the acid.
- Fig Chutney
- Fig and Lemon Chutney (not online yet, but you can find it in The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving, pg 147)
Fig Syrup
Fig syrup is a sweet, pourable treat for pancakes, ice cream, yogurt, and cocktails, and it’s a smart way to use figs that are a touch too soft for canning whole. The leftover syrup from a batch of fig preserves works the same way, so nothing goes to waste.
Like the jelly, my fig syrup recipe is still in testing while I dial in the right balance of flavor and acidity. I’ll add it here as soon as it’s ready, so check back before fig season.
However you put them up, figs are one of the more rewarding fruits to keep on the pantry shelf, since good ones are hard to find fresh and never cheap. Whether you reach for whole figs in syrup, a jar of honeyed jam, a savory chutney, or a pickle for the cheese board, you’ll be glad you caught the harvest when it came.
Fruit Canning Recipes
Looking for more ways to put up the fruit harvest?
