Prepare mason jars and lids by washing and sterilizing in boiling water or running through the sterilization cycle on the dishwasher. Keep warm.

Wash figs, remove stems, and cut into halves or quarters. Place in saucepan.

Add sugar, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice.

Bundle peppercorns in a small pouch of cheesecloth and add to the saucepan. You can also add the peppercorns loose to the jam, see note.

Begin heating over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil.

Reduce heat to a simmer and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until mixture has cooked down and thickened, about 20 minutes.

Use a potato masher or an immersion blender to break any larger chunks down to desired texture (if using an immersion blender, be sure to remove cheesecloth pouch before processing.)

Ladle jam into the prepared jars.

Wipe down rims of jars with white vinegar, place lids on top, and secure with rings. Allow to cook completely, then store in the refrigerator up to three weeks.

To process jam for shelf-stability, add 1/16 teaspoon of citric acid into each 4 oz. jar before adding jam. Bring a tall stockpot of water to a full rolling boil. Submerge jam jars under the boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

Remove from the boiling water and set on the countertop for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, tighten the lids completely and store processed jam on the shelf for up to 1 year. Refrigerate after opening.