Balsamic Fig Glaze Recipe

This balsamic fig glaze recipe is a savory fig preserve made with fresh figs. It is very easy to make with a few ingredients, balsamic vinegar, nutmeg, and sugar. It keeps for the winter and it is a unique delicacy to serve at Christmas. In France, it is served with foie gras as the sweet fruity flavor breaks and balances the intense richness of the duck liver. This balsamic fig sauce can also be served with pork, wild boar, venison, or any other wild meat whose strong flavor combines well with a sweet fruity sauce.

This is a great way to use up the extra figs if you have a fig tree in your garden. My tree died this year due to the extreme drought. While I wait to plant a new one, I use my neighbor's figs. They have such an abundant production they struggle to consume them all, so every year they invite me to pick as much as I can.

This Balsamic fig glaze is not the usual fig jam and it is a perfect gift for Christmas. Besides serving it with foie gras, it can be used to accompany any wild meat, duck or pork. A unique present rather than the conventional jam.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• How to serve it
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top tips
• Pasteurizing the jars
• 📋 Fig Balsamic Glaze Recipe

Ingredients

This fig preserve is made with fresh figs and good quality balsamic vinegar:

• Fresh figs: You can use either green or black figs. I like to pick my figs directly from the tree as I want to choose the most mature. When they have a drop of honey in the back, they are perfectly ripe.

If you are buying the figs at the market, buy them slightly soft. Be very careful, I often find hard figs dry and tasteless. Do not buy them. If you cannot find suitable figs, skip this recipe completely and buy a fig jam already made.

• Balsamic vinegar: use good quality balsamic vinegar. If it is reasonably priced, it is not real balsamic vinegar as it is expensive to make the real one. I recommend buying the balsamic vinegar from Acetaia San Giacomo which you can find also on Amazon. In this recipe, I used Balsamela from Acetaia San Giacomo, which is a Balsamic vinegar made with apples.
• Sugar: use regular castor sugar but do not reduce the quantities if you want to make a fig preserve that will last for years. The amount of sugar is measured accordingly. If you use brown sugar, the jam will last only a few months
• Nutmeg and salt: they add a savory taste to the jam

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

1. Peel the figs
2. Bring to boil water and sugar in a stainless steel pot
3. Once the sugar is dissolved, add the figs
4. Combine the nutmeg, the balsamic vinegar, and a pinch of salt

Cooking the fig glaze

5. Let the jam simmer stirring regularly
6. Remove with a skimmer the foam rising on the surface
7. Boil until the figs are melted into a jam
8. To know when the glaze is ready, place a teaspoon of fig glaze on a small plate and tilt it
9. The jam is ready when it doesn't slide down the plate

Canning the fig sauce

1. Sterilize the jars in the dishwasher or boil them
2. Fill them with the fig glaze
3. Cover the top with cellophane if you want to make sure no metal is touching the jam
4. Seal while still hot and let them cool down in a dry place cover with a cloth

Hint: depending on the jars you are using it is not necessary to cover the top with cellophane. Cellophane by itself is not airtight enough to assure long-term storage. Make sure you seal the jars with a new lid or rubber seal.

Hint: in Europe, we use the reverse canning technique, which is not recommended by the National Center of Home Food Preservation in USA.

The water level in the canner should be 1 to 2 inches above the tops of the filled jars. Turn the burner under the canner to its highest setting, cover the canner with its lid, and heat until the water boils vigorously. Process the jars for the recommended number of minutes after the water boils.

How to serve it

To serve the balsamic fig glaze with the foie gras, place a small amount into a bowl and bring it to the table.

Each guest can place a slice of the foie grass on a slice of savory brioche, plain bread or pain d epice and a small teaspoon of fig jam on top.

The fig jam should not overpower the foie grass but only add a sweet contrast.

You can serve it as well with pork, duck, or any wild roast.

Substitutions

You can use other fruits to make this Balsamic jam to eat with savory dishes. Although not all fruits will work well with foie gras or games. These are other alternatives fruits or vegetables I would recommend:

• Prunes - like figs, prunes are an excellent fruit to combine with wild meat or pork
• Onions - you can try this onion relish recipe that goes well with burgers and roast beef
• Peppers - red pepper jam is a Sicilian sauce that is served with matured Pecorino cheese. I will write the recipe in the next few weeks

Variations

For a more festive spirit you can add the following spices to the Balsamic fig compote:

• Cinnamon: add just a teaspoon
• Cloves: add 3 cloves
• Cognac or Calvados: add at the end and simmer only for one more minute to let the alcohol evaporate.

Equipment

To cook the jam you need to use stainless steel or copper pots that heat up uniformly. Do not use aluminum as it can chemically react with the fruit.

To steer the jam I like to use Oxo Wooden Turner Set as they have a firm and comfortable handle. You will also need a skimmer to remove the foam that will rise to the surface while boiling the figs.

The balsamic fig glaze is stored in regular jam glass jars with lids that are sterilized in the dishwasher. You can reuse these glass jars but you need to buy new lids each time.

Storage

Store the Balsamic fig glaze jars in a cool and dry place, preferably dark.

If you have space, you can also store the fig glaze in the freezer in plastic containers. I recommend storing it in small quantities so you can defrost only the amount you need. Once defrosted it will not keep well for long.

Top tips

• Use matured figs and a good quality Balsamic vinegar
• Never use aluminum pots for cooking fruits and vegetables. Best to use stainless steel or copper
• Sterilize your jars in the dishwasher
• You can re-utilize the glass jars, but you need to buy new lids
• When you open the can, ensure that there is a vacuum. If not, the jar was not properly pasteurized and should not be consumed.

Hint: in Europe, we use the reverse canning technique, which is not recommended by the National Center of Home Food Preservation in USA.

Pasteurizing the jars

Place the jars in a large pan and cover the jars with water. The water level in the canner should be 1 to 2 inches above the tops of the filled jars. Turn the burner under the canner to its highest setting, cover the canner with its lid, and heat until the water boils vigorously. Process the jars for the recommended number of minutes after the water boils.

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