Strawberry Fig Chipotle Jam

This all natural, no-pectin strawberry fig chipotle jam is so tasty! It’s smoky, sweet, and spicy all rolled into one.

(If spicy isn’t your bag, simply leave the chipotle out. But I recommend you try it!)

What is jam and how is it different from jelly, preserves, etc? I used to confuse these terms all the time. They all lead to something deliciously sweet on my plate. How Stuff Works lays it out pretty well:

In jelly, the fruit comes in the form of fruit juice. Jelly has the smoothest consistency and is usually clear.

In jam, the fruit comes in the form of fruit pulp or crushed fruit. This makes jam less stiff than jelly.

In preserves, the fruit comes in the form of chunks in a gel or syrup. Preserves will have more fruit in them than jam will.

From How Stuff Works

So this is a strawberry fig chipotle jam because the fruit pieces are mashed.

This recipe is based on one I wrote years ago for a spicy mixed fruit jam. That one had sugar and pectin in it. But when I pulled my pectin out, I realized it had expired.

I guess it’s been a while since I made jam. Being too lazy to run to the store, I rallied on and made due with just the fruits’ natural pectin, lemon juice, and sugar.

Making Strawberry Fig Chipotle Jam

Strawberry fig chipotle jam is a very simple 4-ingredient recipe with only a few pieces of equipment necessary:

• Knife
• Cutting board
• Measuring cup
• Saucepan
• Potato masher
• Jar for storage

The star ingredients of a recipe called strawberry fig chipotle jam are obviously the fruits. It’s late October here but I can still find sweet strawberries and black Mission figs at the farmers market. I strongly recommend using fresh fruits. I don’t know how well this recipe will work with dried fruit. So if strawberries and figs are out of season for you, please wait to make this!

You want an equal portion of strawberries and figs. About a 1/2 pound each will yield about 2 cups worth of jam. The spiciness is dependent on the amount of chipotle used.

I used 2 whole chipotles which I chopped, though they’re shown here intact and straight out of their adobo sauce. Chipotles are smoked jalapeños that are sold canned in a sauce. Use them sparingly for a hint of spice. A little goes a long way here!

Alternatively, you can also add just a tablespoon or so of the sauce to your mixture as it simmers.

If you’re not a fan of spiciness, you can dial this back. I made an identical batch without the chipotles at all and the recipe remained exactly the same.

Start by washing and chopping your fruits. I tried to keep them about the same size, it makes smashing them later a little easier. Here they’re in roughly 1-inch pieces.

Before you slice and juice your lemon, cut off 2 strips of the rind. This will come in handy later. I forgot to do this until the end when my lemons were all smushed.

You want about 2 tablespoons or 1 oz of lemon juice for this. That’s approximately 1 medium lemon.

Put your chopped fruits and sugar into a saucepan and let sit for 10 minutes. This maceration allows the natural fruit juices to come out and create the liquid necessary for boiling.

Now mash your fruits! It’s okay if you have a few stubborn pieces that don’t want to break down yet. They will eventually.

Add the lemon juice, rinds strips, and chipotles (if using).

Set the saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then let it simmer for 50 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Cook until you get a stiff pulpy consistency that coats a spoon.

The end product should be a deep dark red, slightly chunky, and oh so delicious! Wait about 10 minutes for it to cool, then toast some bread and enjoy!

Store in a sterile jar in the fridge. It will last at least a week.

I hope you’re able to give strawberry fig chipotle jam a try soon. It is a surprisingly pleasant mixture of flavors. I like it so much, it might replace the cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving.

It’s 2020 after all. Anything goes!

*Note: the nutritional information in the recipe is based on the total calories for 1 cup. A serving is technically a tablespoon, and there are about 32 tablespoons in this entire recipe (and 16 in one cup). For a more complete nutritional outlook, see the nutritional label below the recipe.

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