I've only ever had dried figs and they're pretty delicious. I saw fresh ripe figs for the first time and got excited. I bought a pack but I didn't know what to do with them. I tried to eat them raw but I wasn't a fan. They weren't as sweet as I thought they would be. Maybe it was just that batch I got. I browsed for recipes and I decided to make fig jam. I couldn't settle on a single recipe so I decided to combine inspirations from a few I found on Food52.com. My mom and I kept trying the mixture to see what needed to be added and the aftermath was pretty sweet (pun intended). :)

Ingredients

2 cups fresh ripe figs - peeled and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cup water
4 tbsp cane sugar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp cardamom
2 whole cloves
pinch of salt
pinch of black pepper

Steps

Add all ingredients to a heavy bottom sauce pan.
On medium-low heat, let it simmer until the figs are soft and the mixture is gooey.
Keep stirring occasionally.
You can add more water and sugar, if needed.
Remove the cinnamon stick and whole cloves. Using a fork or a potato masher break down the bigger chunks of figs and smooth out the jam.
Cool and store in a glass jar.

Time 20-30 minutes | Makes about 1 cup of jam

Enjoy your gourmet fig jam on toasted bread, croissants, muffins etc. You can also serve it over cheese and crackers for delightful Hor'Dourves.