Recipe: Fig Preserves (4)

Found quite a few recipes for fig preserves; many use strawberry gelatin -- but presume you are looking for something more basic, like what you remember your grandmother making. Some recipes were for spiced preserves, others used lemon or vanilla or cinnamon. Here are a couple, starting with a pretty basic one.

---

FIG PRESERVES #1

3 lbs. figs
2 lbs. sugar (2 1/3 cups = 1 lb. sugar)

Wash and drain figs, and put in a large boiler and cover with all the sugar. Let stand overnight and cook really slow for several hours. When it foams up on top, it is about done. Dip off foam and put in jars and seal.

---

FIG PRESERVES #2
Makes 2 or 3 pints

1 lb figs
3/4 lb. sugar
3 or 4 cups water
1 lemon, sliced

Wash figs and put in heavy pot. Mix sugar and water until sugar is dissolved, and pour over figs. (Let stand overnight if you like.) Cook over medium heat about 2 hours or until figs are transparent. Add lemon slices about 30 minutes before they are done. Put in hot jars and seal. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

---

FIG PRESERVES #3

Figs
Sugar
Vanilla bean

Peel figs. Put pound for pound of peeled figs and sugar in large pot. Slice and scrape a vanilla bean and put with figs (may also cut bean in tiny pieces and add). Cook over low heat until sugar is clear. Put in sterilized jars and seal. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

---

FIG PRESERVES #4

8 cups figs
4 cups sugar
2 thinly sliced lemons

Select firm, sound fruit. Wash thoroughly. Sprinkle sugar over figs. Cover and let stand overnight. Place on low heat and when boiling point is reached, add 2 thinly sliced lemons. Boil until syrup reaches the desired thickness. Let figs stand overnight in syrup to plump. Next morning, return figs to boiling and pack into hot jars, leaving 1/8" head space. Cover with hot syrup. Seal. Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath.

NOTE: Although the produce will not be as high in quality, figs may be preserved without peeling. If unpeeled, figs should be covered with water and boiled 15 to 20 minutes and drained before adding syrup.