| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 20 min |
| Active: | 10 min |
| Yield: | 12 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons grated orange zest (2 oranges)
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 3 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- 2 pounds fresh ripe purple figs, stems removed and halved lengthwise
Instructions
- Place the orange zest and orange juice in a medium (10-inch) heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset. Add the sugar, vanilla bean, and figs to the pot. Cover and bring to a full boil over medium heat. (Don’t worry; it may look dry.) Stir the mixture and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Lower the heat, and cook uncovered at a full simmer for 50 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want the little bubbles to be throughout the pot, not just at the edges. After 45 minutes, refrigerate a small amount of the liquid to see if it becomes syrupy. It should be like a soft fruit preserve. Keep cooking just until the liquid starts to gel when cold. If the liquid is too firm, add a little orange juice or water, cook for a minute, and test it again until it’s right. Depending on how ripe the figs are, they will probably keep their shape, but it’s fine if they don’t. Discard the vanilla bean and serve or refrigerate.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 12 servings |
| Calories | 304 |
| Total Fat | 0 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 78 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 76 g |
| Protein | 1 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 2 mg |
Reviews
We love this recipe! My only recommendation is to cut the sugar down. I used one cup, and next batch will use 1/2 cup sugar. The orange and vanilla bean create a delicious build in the flavor. We left the figs chunky. Delicious and easy to make. Next batch will also have fresh jalapenos added as recommended in another review.
Outstanding! And very easy. Our fig trees were especially generous this year – yielding six pounds for this recipe alone. The orange adds a welcome freshness. I added two teaspoons of fresh grated ginger to further brighten and spice. Big hit!
Yummy but very sweet. Next time, will make with less sugar. Saw similar recipe with lemon juice instead of orange juice using 2 C instead of 3-3/4 C sugar. Also, instructions are a bit confusing, so to make sure the jam is set, tested 220 F with digital thermometer.
This is a great recipe that I tweak by adding a TBS or two of diced jalapeños to give it a little *pop*. Everyone who tries it loves it.
I had no vanilla beans, I used 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, Oxo thermometer ready when reads 220 degrees. Serve with Fage 2% yogurt. Yields: 4 cups. DELICIOUS
Has anyone used a sugar substitute like Swerve? I really need to make it sugar free.
I do love a recipe that works every time. This recipe is terrific for that. I use 8 cups of brown turkey figs to 4 cups of sugar; 1 teaspoon each of vanilla extract and almond extract, 1/2 teaspoon of dried ginger and black pepper plus a generous dash of salt in addition to the 1/2 cup of orange juice and zest. I have never been able to make the juice in the refrigerator work, so at the end of cooking time I bring the syrup to a hard boil until it reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer and boil it about one minute. I put my preservers in 2 cup plastic containers instead of canning jars. 8 cups of figs yields 6 cups of preserves. Barefoot got it right.
Very easy! Even with only 2C sugar and 2.26lbs of fresh figs it was way to sweet for our tastes. I’ll probably doing another batch with just orange juice and add to the current batch.
The vanilla bean wasn’t included in my mom’s or auntie recipe. Makes a big difference in taste. Love it!
I think it’s important to remember that the sugar content in the figs and in the oranges will have an effect on how sweet the final product is. Based on that, adjustments may be necessary. My figs were medium-ripe, and my oranges were extremely sweet; therefore, I used less sugar and it was just as we like. Thanks, Ina!