With its gorgeous jewel like colour, this fig, apple & pomegranate jam tastes wonderful. It has a perfect figgy flavour, but with tart notes from the lemons and pomegranate molasses which offsets its sweetness beautifully. The addition of apples ensures an easy set.
Following the publication of Diana Henry’s latest book, Salt, Sugar, Smoke, I noticed a flurry of tweets about her fig and pomegranate jam. I’ve become a bit of a fig addict recently whilst they’ve been selling reasonably cheaply, so I was intrigued.
Fig, Apple & Pomegranate Jam
I didn’t have all of the ingredients required for Diana’s recipe. But I did have figs, pomegranate molasses and cooking apples from my mother’s garden. Being a bit of a purist, I didn’t want to use sugar with added pectin. So I not only adapted the recipe to omit the ingredients I didn’t have but I also used more apple & lemon to help set the jam. Initially, I was going to add chocolate, but at the last minute decided I wanted to taste the fruity flavours in all their purity. Plus it would have been a shame to spoil the beautiful deep pink colour.
The recipe for this fig, apple & pomegranate jam is quite an easy one. It’s more or less just a case of throwing everything into a large pot and boiling it for fifteen minutes or so. The apples contain lots of pectin, so the jam sets without too much trouble. You will need to sterilise your jars properly and seal them well once they’ve been filled. If you store it in a cool dark place, the jam should then last for a year or so. You can find out how to sterilise jars in this spiced apple chutney post.
The jam tastes fantastic: figgy, but zingy too. The consistency is just right, not too runny and not too solid. I’m glad my jars of jewel like jam turned out as well as I’d hoped as I’ll be presenting some of them as Christmas gifts. I’m not yet sure how I’ll combine the jam with chocolate, but I surely will at some stage.
Judge the Jam
Susan over at A Little Bit of Heaven on a Plate is running her Home Made and Well Preserved Challenge again this year. Last year I entered apple and lemon curd, which I’ve made several times since as it’s so good. There are two categories: chutney and jam. They will both be judged with a lovely prize for the best in each category. I am, of course, entering this into the jam category. Vivian Lloyd, WI judge and author of First Preserves is the judge for this category, so it’s all a little bit scary.
Update
Chocolate and this delicious fig, apple & pomegranate jam did come together in the end. I made this figgy jam almond cake with white chocolate and it was delicious.
Other Jam Recipes You Might Like
- Apricot & vanilla jam via Tin and Thyme
- Chocolate blackberry jam via Tin and Thyme
- Damson jam via Fab Food 4 All
- Easy strawberry jam via Tin and Thyme
- Kumquat jam via Christina’s Cucina
- Persian carrot jam via Tin and Thyme
- Rhubarb and ginger jam via Farmersgirl Kitchen
Show Me
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this fig, apple & pomegranate jam, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below or via social media. Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them. For more delicious and nutritious recipes, follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest.
Fig, Apple & Pomegranate Jam. PIN IT.
Fig, Apple & Pomegranate Jam – The Recipe
Fig, Apple & Pomegranate Jam
Ingredients
- 600 g fresh figs (I used 12)
- 3 cooking apples
- 2 lemons - unwaxed (organic if you can)
- 3 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 600 g golden granulated sugar
Instructions
- Wash the figs in clean water, then remove the tops and quarter them. Place in a large stainless steel pan.
- Peel, core and roughly chop the apples. Add to the pan along with 12 fl oz water.
- Grate in the lemon zest, then juice and add to the pan along with the pomegranate molasses.
- Bring to the boil, then simmer for a few minutes until everything is soft. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Boil for about 15 minutes until setting point is reached. Test this by placing a saucer in the freezer, spooning in a bit of jam and seeing if it wrinkles when pushed with a finger.
- Pour into warm sterilised jars and seal.
Notes
Sharing
Laura of How to Cook Good Food has chosen pomegranates as this month’s One Ingredient, so I’m happily submitting this to it. One Ingredient is co-hosted by Nazima of Franglais Kitchen.
The letter for Alpha Bakes happens to be J this month, so I am submitting this as J for Jam. Alpha Bakes is a monthly challenge hosted alternately by Caroline Makes and The More Than Occasional Baker.
What a fabulous jam! I would never think to make this combination but would very much like to try it as it sounds delicious!
Thanks Camilla. It is delicious. There’s something quite exciting about making jam and satisfying too.
What a fab combination! Pomegranate is my very favorite fruit, so I know I’d love this! Thanks for adding my kumquat jam!
How interesting Christina. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of pomegranate being someone’s favourite fruit. They are delicious, but a bit of a faff to prepare.
What lovely jam! I love the colour! As I dont use white sugar I also never use jam sugar with added pectin. I made fig jam in the summer but think the addition of pomegranete molasses would be wonderful! Great recipe.
Thanks Jayne, this is my first venture into fig jam making and I was very pleased.
What a lovely combo of flavours – like the idea of the pomegranate; bet it stopped it being too sweet and added some tang
Thanks CC, I can’t bare commercial jam because it is so sweet – this one is perfect.
This sounds divine Choclette, and I am a big lover of fig and pomegranate as a combination, keep on jamming I say. Karen
I’m with you on the jamming front Karen. I don’t make the quantity you make, but I do have another I’ve recently made – all to be revealed very soon 😉
Mmmm, that does sound good Choclette 🙂
Thanks Jac 🙂
What a gorgeous recipe and combination of flavours. I need to start using figs in cooking more often – they barely make it past the front door before we devour them raw!
Fresh figs can be so delicious, but it’s good to be able to capture their essence for all those months when they are out of season.
Fig season starts next month in South Africa I think so I am bookmarking this in anticipation!
If you like figs, you’ll love this jam 🙂
Wow this sounds like a delicious combination of flavours. I am surprised you left out the chocolate 😛 Thanks for entering AlphaBakes.
Thanks Ros, it was a tough decision 😉
Looks absolutely stunning, colors are brilliant and I love the combination of fruits in the jam!!
Thank you Malli, it’s a good one for sure 🙂
This is a fantastic Christmas gift! It is an unusual combination fig and pomegranate to me!! It sounds very Christmassy. I love figs but I do not use pomegranate (the tiny seeds drive me crazy!!).
Thanks Rita, I know just what you mean about pomegranate seeds, they can be very annoying. I used pomegranate molasses here, so all I had to do was open the bottle 😉
Figs and pomegranate molasses – that sounds like a marriage made in heaven to me. Lovely stuff.
Oh it truly is Phil 🙂
The jam is lovely isn’t it, I made a small batch a few weeks ago.
I’ve spent all day making chutneys, liqueurs and mincemeat, so I really must enter them into a few events.
I’m going to try your apple and lemon curd, it sounds scrumptious.
Jude x
Oh did you blog about it Jude? Must come over and have a look. Did you follow Diana’s recipe exactly? I’m just imagining your larder now packed full of delicious things in jars. Must think about making some mincemeat again – last year’s was delicious.
What a lovely colour and I love the flavour combo too. Never thought I would say this, but I think chocolate may have been a step too far in this case.
Well I did think adding chocolate might make it into a particularly appealing chocolate spread, but I decided to leave that to another time – unspecified!
I have also noticed lots of chat about Diana Henry’s latest book and this is certainly the recipe I would choose as I am also a big fig fan. It must be the most wonderful colour as well as having a good texture from the crunchy fig seeds. I know you will find a way of combining this with chocolate to great effect and I also like the way you chose not to use sugar with added pectin.
I had a nightmare with my hedgerow jelly and had to re-boil it three times but if I get a chance to make this I hope for better results first time!
Thanks for entering One Ingredient xx
Laura, I know you are a fig fan. I put my latest obsession with figs entirely at your door 😉
I was expecting the colour to be a rather dull brown as is fig jam I have bought before, so I was really surprised by the lovely colour. Did your jelly have crab apples in it? If so, you shouldn’t have had any problems.
That sounds delicious. Sadly, I did not get around to doing any jam this year. 🙁
There’s still time Gina 😉
Glad your jam turned out nice, fig are one of my favourite jams. What a lovely gift to receive on Christmas : )
Thanks Vanessa, fig jam seems appropriate for Christmas somehow 🙂
It’s a lovely book, although the one thing I have made so far was not completely successful.
I haven’t seen the book, but if Crazy Water Pickled Lemons is anything to go by, it would be her writing more than anything that I’d be wanting it for.
what a gorgeous jam – i have been planning to make something similar too so will be trying your recipe out
Thanks Nazima. It’s a great jam for Christmas with all that figgy goodness and colour.
What an autumn jam!!
Delicious with cheese…
Have a nice day
manu
Thanks Manu, I wouldn’t have thought of eating this with cheese, but it’s not a bad idea 🙂