Balsamic Fig and Honey Spread
This fig spread is sweet and jammy, perfect on toast or on a cheese plate. Ripe fresh figs simmered with honey and balsamic vinegar, then blended into a spread.
Servings: 8
Calories: 65kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh figs about 11 figs
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Stem figs, then chop.
- Add chopped figs, sugar, water, honey, balsamic vinegar, and vanilla extract to a medium-large saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn down the heat to medium and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Stir frequently. Add more liquid if the mixture appears dry or starts to scorch on the bottom. The figs will begin to break down, and the liquid in the pan will begin to thicken, with larger bubbles coming to the surface more slowly.
- Turn off the heat and let cool for 15 minutes.
- Then blend with an immersion blender or in a food processor, making it as smooth or chunky as you like.
- Refrigerate in jars or other airtight containers.
Notes
- This fig spread must be refrigerated since we did not seal the jars by water-bath or pressure canning. Use within a week. If you want to store the fig spread for longer, you can freeze it for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator for 24 hours before serving, then use within a week of defrosting.
- The key to this dish is simmering the jam gently and using the right amount of liquid. Too much liquid, and you’ll end up with a watery spread. Too little liquid, or too high heat, and you’ll scorch the jam and make it taste bitter. Unfortunately, there’s no way to give an exact amount of liquid in the recipe directions—it depends quite a bit on how ripe your figs are. So just try to make sure you have enough liquid so that the mixture does not look dry, or start to sizzle like it is scorching the bottom of the pan. And add the liquid a little bit at a time, so that you don’t accidentally overwhelm the figs. If it turns out you have added too much liquid, simmer it for longer to boil out some of the extra water.
Nutrition
Calories: 65kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Sodium: 2mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g
