Fresh figs are in season and they are delicious in salads, roasted pork, and desserts. Personally, I love to eat them right out of the basket at the farmers market. They are incredibly sweet, soft, slightly chewy with tiny seeds that pop in your mouth with every bite. They are also high in fiber, magnesium, and potassium.

When I was I kid, there was a fig tree in my backyard. When the figs would ripen, the birds would eat most of them, yielding very few for my mom, but I would never eat them because I thought they were contaminated by the birds. Years later, when I bought them at the market, I realized how truly wonderful fresh figs were and how I missed out as a kid.

Today, I share an easy fig jam recipe. This jam recipe is perfect for tarts, cheese plates, homemade Fig Newtons and in sandwiches. In addition to the jam recipe, I include pictures of a simple sandwich made with fig jam, goat cheese, bacon, and spinach, with the spinach dressed in balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper. The result is a sandwich that is sweet, salty, tart, crunchy, and creamy all at once! You can even omit the bacon and make it vegetarian. Either way, the fig jam is the star. Enjoy!

Black Mission Fig Jam

Yield: One 12-ounce jar

1 lb. of Black Mission figs or other purple figs
2/3 cup of sugar
1/8 cup of fresh lemon juice
2 strips of lemon peel – 2″ strips (no pith)
1/2 cup of water
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1. In a 12-inch stainless steel sauté pan, toss the fig pieces with the sugar and stir. Let them sit until sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally (about 20 minutes)
2. Add the lemon juice, lemon peel and water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer.

3. Cook the figs, stirring occasionally, until they get soft and the jam thickens (about 15-20 minutes). Sprinkle with sea salt and give it final stir.
4. Carefully spoon the cooked jam into a 12-ounce Mason jar. Cool in jar at room temperature for 2 hours. Cover with lid. Store the jam in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

A simple sandwich with fig jam, goat cheese, bacon and spinach.