The prep for Slow Cooker Fig Jam is literally just a few minutes and the crock pot does all the work-almost. Easy fig jam recipe with no pectin!
This hands-off method is the best way to make fig jam. This has to be the easiest small batch fig jam recipe I've made. You'll learn how to make fig jam without pectin.
It tastes just like a fresh fig spread when you slather it on my 2 Ingredient biscuits.
Another favorite recipe to make using this slow cooker fig jam recipe is Fig Jam Cake. I often top it with whipped cream and Easy Fig and Lemon Preserves.
When are fresh figs in season?
Many figs have two seasons
- A smaller producing season in June
- Typical major producing season from August to September
- California figs have the perfect environment for growing figs so you can usually find them fresh in stores from mid-May til mid-December.
For my second batch of jam (after I used the bartered figs): The hybrid green figs on my trees are in peak season from mid August to mid September.
I don’t usually have enough ripe figs at the same time to make this jam so I bought one container of Black Mission figs when they went on sale to supplement them. When they cook down into jam, you never know the difference! Since figs are fragile, jam is a great way to use your over-ripened figs.
Shortcuts:
- The slow cooker allows you to walk away without having to babysit it on the stovetop and constantly stir.
- No pectin needed. It saves an ingredient and a step!
- It's not necessary to "can" them in fruit jars. It keeps well for several weeks in the fridge with a tight lid. But I do often process half pint jars in a water bath and give them as gifts.
- Snipping the stems with scissors.
How to make Fresh Fig Jam
If you're looking for green fig recipes, perfect! I've used ripe green figs to make this jam recipe many times. Mine are a Calimyrna hybrid.
Snip ends of fresh figs with scissors or with a sharp knife on a cutting board.
Combine all the ingredients in the slow cooker. Give it a good stir and put the lid on it and turn it on. That is too easy! I cooked mine for 3 hours on HIGH but it could go a little longer and not burn. Make sure you stir it occasionally.
You may be thinking, "That doesn't look like jam to me!". Just one more step and you are there. If you have an immersion hand blender, just stick it right in the slow cooker crock and blend until smooth.
What if I don't have an immersion blender?
If you don't have an immersion blender, no worries. Wait until the mixture has cooled at least 30 minutes and place it in a food processor or large blender and pulse until smooth.
At this point, you can pour the jam into jars or containers with tight lids and keep it in the fridge for several weeks.
Or, you can process (can it) the jars for 5 minutes in a water bath in a stock pot and store them on a cool dry shelf.
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Why is my fig jam not thickening?
This happened to me on one of my batches.
After researching possible causes, I decided to edit this recipe and add more sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
Possible reasons why fig jam may not thicken:
- Figs aren't ripe-Ripe figs contain the most natural pectin.
- Jam didn't cook long enough.- Making jam without powdered pectin is a matter of cooking it down to evaporate the liquid. In a slow cooker, it takes longer than on a stovetop because it holds in the moisture.
- Lemon juice not acidic enough. Fresh lemons vary in acidity with soil and weather conditions. The best lemon juice is bottle lemon juice because the PH is regulated and consistent.
What can I do if my fig jam doesn't thicken?
Here are two options to help thicken your jam if it doesn't thicken after 8 hours in the slow cooker.
- If your jam seems more like syrup at the end of 8 hours, remove the lid and stir occasionally until it reaches jam consistency, cooking on HIGH heat setting.
- Sprinkle 1 tablespoon low-sugar powdered pectin over the mixture and stir in well. Cook on HIGH heat setting on the slow cooker, stirring constantly, until the jam thickens.
Can I used overripe fruit to make jam?
The great thing about making jam is that the whole fruit is used and it doesn't matter if the fruit is slightly blemished and it's actually best to use ripe or over ripe fruit for jam.
So what's your excuse for not making a batch of Slow Cooker Fig Jam? Keep a lookout for a neighbor with a fig tree so you can barter!
What can I serve fig jam?
Besides spreading on my 2 Ingredient Biscuits, one of my favorite recipes using fig jam is Fig Jam Cake. You can make it with buttercream maple frosting or eat it plain as a snack cake.
The fig cake only uses one cup of the jam so you still have plenty to enjoy at breakfast.
You can also use store bought fig jam but you might have to find it at a festival or local market.
Other fig recipes you will love:
Maple Buttercream Frosting and Fig Jam Cake
Fig Jam Cake Made with Slow Cooker Fig Jam
Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube. Be social and share, y'all! Want all my new recipes and updates? Get my weekly newsletter in your inbox!
Homemade Fig Jam (Slow Cooker)
Equipment
- slow cooker
Ingredients
- 5 cups whole fresh figs about two 16-oz containers
- 2 cups dark brown sugar or 1 ½ cups light brown sugar + 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Wash figs gently in a bowl of cold water; drain well. Remove stems and cut figs in half.
- Combine all ingredients in a 4-quart slow cooker, except vanilla. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours, stirring once or twice in the first 30 minutes. Let cool 30 minutes. Add vanilla, if using.
- Using an immersion blender in the slower cooker crock, puree mixture until almost smooth. The fig mixture can also be poured in a large food processor, once cooled, and pulsed until almost smooth.
- Pour jam into sterilized jars with lids and let cool completely. Store in refrigerator or freezer. Jam can also be processed in a water bath for 10 minutes and stored at room temperature. Here are directions on how to seal your jars using a stock pot for the water bath.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition analysis on GritsAndGouda.com recipes are mostly calculated on an online nutrition calculator. I am not a dietitian and nutritional information is an estimate and can vary based on products used.
Melinda Doster
I do a lot of water bath canning. I had a bunch of figs, and found your recipe which sounded wonderful. I was canning a lot of jams and jellies yesterday, so being able to put the figs into a slow cooker to cook while I was doing everything else was perfect. I cook them on high for five hours. Then I used my immersion blender as you suggested. Puréed everything. But it was much too runny. I continue to let it cook on high per your instructions. Still no thickening. I sprinkled sure gel over the top mixed it in really good and kept stirring. Still didn’t thicken much. I put more sure gel. it only got slightly thicker. So I decided to go ahead and can it anyway, hoping that, like jelly, it would thicken after going through the water bath processing. I just finished checking my jars, and they are all sealed beautifully. However, the figs are just as runny as they were when I did the canning. Clearly they are not going to thicken. I do not want fig syrup. I want thick fig butter/jam. What can I do with this, if anything?
Kathleen
I'm happy to help figure out why your fig jam was not thick enough! The three main reasons I list on the post for jam not thickening is figs are fully ripe, jam did not cook long enough, and lemon juice might not be acidic enough. Very ripe figs have the most natural pectin, therefore thickening the best. Turn the heat on the slow cooker to HIGH and continue to cook, stirring often, until desired thickness. Leaving the lid off is another suggestion to thicken faster once you have pureed it to evaporate more moisture. Lastly, be sure to use bottled lemon juice for the most acidity that reacts with the natural pectin in fruits. The last resort would be to empty the jars and go back to the step of cooking until desired consistency either in the slow cooker or in a pot on the stovetop. I do hope this helps and you get to enjoy the delicious fig jam.
TJ's Gigi
I'd like to add blueberries and make blueberry fig jam. What do you suggest the amounts should be for the blueberries and figs, using this recipe?
Kathleen
That combination sounds delicious! I haven't tried adding blueberries to this recipe before but I would try maybe taking out 1 cup of figs and adding in 1 cup of blueberries to start and see if that works well. Let me know how it works! I love that combo.
Terrifiedofcanning
I messed up badly. The the fig jam came out perfect with your recipe! I decided to can them to give as gifts. This is when the problems began. I didn’t have the proper tools but tried to improvise by using stock pot, towel and tongs. The tongs couldn’t grip the jars, the towel kept floating up and tipping the jars over and they also fell over in the stock pot while boiling. I put them to cool anyway but I don’t see any sign of sealing( i left them undisturbed). Another problem is , I won’t be home tomorrow so my 24 hour window will be gone to refrigerate the ones that didn’t seal. I’m on an internet spiral, reading about spoiled jams and failed canning attempts. I absolutely abhor canning ! I ruined a perfectly great jam all in the jam of gifting ! I have a fig tree so I guess I can make more but this was a pain in the ass.
Kathleen
Oh I am so very sorry you had trouble with the canning part! Yes, having the right tools does make a difference. But hey, I saw a cool trick to make your own rack! Use twist ties to connect jar rings to form a rack to hold up your jars! An idea to get the tongs to stick to the jars as you lift might be to use one of those floppy rubber/silicone jar openers if you have one. Walmart does sell the canning jar gripper, though. It really does make things easier. I'm so glad you still have figs to maybe try again!
Angie Heath
Can it be put in freezer bags and put in the freezer?
Kathleen
It can absolutely be frozen in freezer containers or freezer safe jars. Freezer bags will work but might be a bit messier.
Marie
Absolutely a breeze and so delicious! Thanks so much!
Kathleen
I love how the slow cooker does all the work! Thank you for sharing!
Melody
Can this recipe be used for canning the jam? I'm just starting to learn how to can foods and love figs.
gritsandgouda
Absolutely! I process little jars of this jam and give as Christmas gifts. In the recipe post right below the heading "What if I don't have an immersion blender?", I mention canning the jam in a water bath with a direct link right there to directions on how to process half pint jars in a water bath. I just added the link to the notes in the recipe to make it easier to find. Thank you!
Tonya
That was easy and delicious! Thank you!
gritsandgouda
You are so welcome! With a fig jam recipe this easy, it's perfect for making food gifts! I'm tickled you enjoyed it!
June Starkey
This was so easy to do and it is delicious! Thanks.
gritsandgouda
Im soooo glad you made it! It's crazy how easy it is. Perfect for gift giving, too! Don't forget to rate it 5 stars if ya wanna! 😉