Long after my fig trees stop producing I have decided that fig jam or fig preserve is just not the same as biting into the amazing taste of a whole fig. That sweet succulent taste that seems to linger on your palate and combine so well with cheese needs to be available to me in the winter when I see it's deciduous branches.I got the revelation from someone who asked me at the SOL Food festival whether figs could be canned whole. I knew they could but I had not posted the completed recipe since I love having the pictures to show the final product. This evening I picked some of the "end of season" figs. The weather today was 90 degrees and I saw some of the figs literally dried on the branches. I must have picked about 15 lbs of figs, both brown turkey and black mission, and knew exactly which recipe I wanted to put up. I did freeze about 4 pounds, giving my dad a few pounds and did a gallon jar for the frigerator of the figs in light syrup at the end.
Here is the recipe and beautiful picture of my figs:
(Recipe from the National Center for Home Preserving)
Select firm, ripe, uncracked figs. Avoid overripe figs with very soft flesh.
Wash figs thoroughly in clean water Drain. Do not peel or remove stems. Cover figs with water and boil 2 minutes. Drain. Gently boil figs in light syrup (1 cup sugar to 4 cups water) for 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice per quart or 1 tablespoon per pint to the jars. Fill jars with hot figs and cooking syrup, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe rims, adjust hot lids/rings and process in water bath 45 minutes for pints and 50 minutes for quarts.
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