Why it works: Fig and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 16% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,241 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓
Fig Jam
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Skin the figs and place them in a bowl.
Sprinkle the figs with poured sugar-candy and let them sit overnight.
Use equal parts of sugar to figs (1 pound of sugar for every pound of figs).
Cook
Transfer the mixture to a preserving pan over medium heat.
Skim off any foam until the mixture begins to jelly.
Store
Remove from heat and fill jars for storage.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Fig + sugartop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,241 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Ripe figs
- Provide the bulk, body and main flavor of the jam.
- Sugar-candy
- Adds sweetness and draws moisture out of the figs, helping the jam thicken.
The step that matters
Skim off the foam while the mixture cooks. Foam is air and impurities rising to the surface; skimming it keeps the jam clear. The jam sets as sugar and fruit pectin concentrate, so remove it from heat once it begins to jelly, before it overcooks.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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