Green Fig Jam

Unripe fig jam, also known as green fig preserves or spoon sweets, is a traditional sweet treat with deep roots in the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions. The practice of making jams and preserves from figs has a long history in these areas, dating back to ancient civilizations like the Greeks and Romans who cultivated figs and used them in various dishes, including early forms of sweet pastes and preserves. Specifically concerning unripe figs, these cultures recognized the value of using figs that didn't fully ripen, preventing them from going to waste. In areas where the climate might not be consistently warm enough for all figs to reach full ripeness, or as a way to utilize an abundant harvest, preserving unripe figs in a sugar syrup became a common practice. You'll find variations of this in Bulgarian, Greek, Turkish, Lebanese, and South African cuisines, where unripe figs are simmered until tender and preserved in syrup, often flavored with lemon peel, cloves, or ginger. The preservation of green figs is particularly popular in the Western Cape region of South Africa, where the culinary tradition utilizes unripe figs to create a unique preserve often served with cheese boards or desserts. In essence, unripe fig jam represents a clever and delicious way that various cultures have historically made the most of their fig harvest, resulting in a cherished culinary tradition enjoyed across different regions.