Serrano or Jalapeno Pepper Fig Jam
We were gifted jalapeno and serrano peppers from a friend and I wasn’t sure which pepper I would choose to make this recipe. I ended up going with the serrano peppers and it was delicious with a fabulous pepper undertone. This recipe would work with ANY hot pepper of your choosing.
You can make this hot pepper fig jam to any degree of heat you’d like.
How to make Spicy Fig Jam for Canning
If you’re new to water bath canning, you can read detailed instructions on how to water bath can.
To get started, we gather all our canning supplies and ingredients for the jam.
Start heating up the canner water and your jars. Now let’s start cooking the jam while those heat up.
We want to get the peppers and figs finely diced. A food processor or blender comes in handy here. You just want to pulse enough that it is chunky. It may look ugly depending on your fig variety, but rest assured as you cook the figs they will turn a beautiful color.
We want to cook the figs, peppers, apple juice, lemon juice, cinnamon and pectin all together. We don’t add our sugar until the very end.
Get ready for stirring. We don’t want the jam to burn and we need to get this to a hard boil. A hard boil is one that can’t be stirred down so we’re going to be stirring constantly once the jam starts to bubble.
Once we reach a hard boil, we add all the sugar and hard boil for 1 minutes.
To test the jam to see if it sets, it’s handy to have a plate in the freezer ahead of time. Drop a little jam on the plate and you should see it set.
All that is left is water bath canning them!
View the recipe below for the water bath canning instructions and process time chart for your altitude.
Look at this perfectly set, spicy fig jam:
This jam goes well on toast, cream cheese with crackers, or use it to make a twist on Fig Newton’s!
Serrano or Jalapeno Fig Jam Canning Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 to 1/2 lbs jalapeno or serrano peppers (you can substitute with any hot pepper) use 1/4 lb for mild heat and 1/2 lb for more heat
- 4 lbs ripe figs
- 3/4 cup apple juice
- 3/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 1/2 tbsp low/no sugar powdered pectin
- 4 cups white sugar
Instructions
Cooking Instructions
- Cut tops off peppers and stems off figs. Pulse in a food processor or blender until chunky (if you don't have a food processor or blender, you can dice).
- Add all ingredients to a heavy bottom pot EXCEPT the sugar.
- Cook on medium high heat, stirring frequently.
- Once jam starts to bubble, start stirring constantly. Reach a hard boil (a boil that cannot be stirred down).
- Add sugar and hard boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
Water Bath Canning Instructions
- Heat up water in a pot with rack on bottom until simmering. There should be enough water that when filled jars are in your pot, they are completely submerged and are covered by 1 to 2 inches of water.
- Ladle jam into clean and hot half pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles and wipe rims clean with a damp towel. Put lids and bands on FINGER-TIGHT ONLY - Do not overscrew.
- Carefully place jars into your pot. Place lid on pot and let water reach a rolling boil.
- Process for 5 minutes (see chart below for varying altitude times).
- Turn heat off and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Carefully remove jars and place on a towel on your counter. Let sit until completely cooled.
- Remove bands from lids and test to see if each one sealed. Store in a dark, cool place.
Notes
Altitude (in feet) | Increase Processing Time |
---|---|
1,001 - 3,000 | 5 minutes |
3,001 - 6,000 | 10 minutes |
6,001 - 8,000 | 15 minutes |
8,001 - 10,000 | 20 minutes |
Leave a Reply