Fig Spread Recipe – No Added Sugar!

I gotta admit. Fresh figs underwhelm me. They always look so appealing and promising but when I bite into one, aside from the apparent and plain sweetness, there isn’t much flavor to them. Hitman loves them fresh but I just don’t get it.

Dried figs, however, are a whole different story. Soft, slightly chewy with highly concentrated flavor, I think dried figs beats fresh anytime!

And then Hitman’s mom introduced dried figs to me in a whole new dimension—as a fig spread! Homemade in fact, and she shared this super easy fig spread recipe with me.

The best part is, you don’t need to add any additional sugar or sweetener. The dried figs themselves are sweet enough. No pectin either. And certainly no canning. Trust me. This is super easy.

Not to mention cheap! If you look out for sales at Superstore or Wal Mart you can get enough for two jars for around a dollar. Or if you’re a health buff you can buy 1.13 kilos of unsulfured organic Calimyrna figs at Costco for $13. Compare that with the $4 per jar we used to pay for naturally sweetened jam and making the fig spread recipe instead is a no-brainer. These are Canadian prices so it should be even cheaper for our American readers.

Fig Spread Recipe – No Added Sugar

Ingredients:

• 100g dried figs–equal to about 12 figs or enough to cover the bottom of a small pot (I used Black Mission figs for this batch, but any kind will do)
• Water to just barely cover (leave a few mm of figs uncovered here and there for a thicker jam-type spread)

Makes approximately 10oz or 289g (just enough to fill a small jam jar).

Instructions:

1. Cut dried figs into halves or quarters and put into small pot.

2. Add enough water to cover and soak overnight.
3. Figs should be nice and plump after the soaking. Add more water to cover.
4. Bring everything to a boil then simmer for 15-20 minutes.

5. Let cool. Then blend in a blender, and pour into a pretty jar.
6. That’s it! Enjoy!!

See? Told’ya it’s easy!! So forget all these other fig jam recipes that call for sugar and lemon juice.  Don’t use the lemon juice and you won’t need the sugar! Dried figs are naturally sweet.

Put your homemade fig spread on some toast, cook a couple of eggs, and maybe mix yourself up a healthy smoothie and you have a delicious and complete breakfast. Bon appetit 🙂