20 August 2010

figs

I've wanted to try my hand at preserves for some time. It just seems so daunting, the whole sterilization and water bath thing and all. When Mirella brought me a crate of ripe figs this week, I finally experienced that moment of courage needed to undertake this task. I've also recently been inspired by her canning efforts; the woman is relentless.

My dad makes a mock strawberry fig preserve from time to time, so I thought I'd start there. Not patient enough to wait for a good time to get my dad on the phone, I turned to the all-powerful friend Google, where I found her recipe and decided quickly that it would be the one for me. I now wish I had looked further because look at what else I found. My guess is that anything from a woman who calls herself "Bayou Woman" is going to be good. I realize that this recipe is likely not a favorite of purists, but it seemed like a simple enough start for me.


Figs
Strawberry Fig Preserves

I'm fairly confident that my sterilization efforts were successful, and, yes, my jars did seal properly. I heard the pops and the centers are depressed. My final yield was only a fraction of what Ms. Deen suggested it should be, leaving me a bit worried about the consistency and taste of the sugar concoction. I'll be sure to let you know as I plan to crack open a jar this weekend.

8 comments:

  1. Fig jam is one of the best I think (I never had the strawberry version). I'm patiently waiting for our figs to ripen, but they're usually never enough to make jam.

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  2. I really enjoy your Blog and your beautiful photography! Figs are my favorite and I love fig jam with fresh goat cheese. I should try making my own now that figs are coming into season, although I now pay an arm and a leg for them here in DC compared to home in CA. Ciao ciao!

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  3. Have you ever tried figs on pizza with proscutto and carmalized onion. Heaven!

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  4. So flattered that you a) were at all impressed with my canning frenzy (Its mostly just me being a little red hen) and b) that you called me a 'woman'. Makes me feel so grown up. Your preserves look really really good. I bet they will be amazing on biscuits.

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  5. Lake Lanier, and now I am inspired to check out the other lakes around Atlanta. I have never really gone to the lakes before because I thought I would be swimming through stuff like in Alaska, but that was not the case. So clean!

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  6. I let a jar chill in the fridge last night. When I first took a taste this morning, it did have a strawberry jello taste -- not what I wanted, at all. At lunch I had a pb and j on wheat . . . the taste wasn't there. We'll see. The jury is out.

    I do like figs. like, not love. Luckily, these were FREE! OFten the free stuff from the neighbors is ripe, ripe, ripe without a second to spare. This was indeed the case with the figs.

    We enjoyed Lake Blue Ridge in North GA this summer . . . great time! It's nearly empty now for damn repair.

    You are inspiring Michelle!

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  7. mmmm...those jars look divine! i am sorry they did not turn out quite like you had hoped. but not bad for your first try?! i too have been wanting to do jam for ages! it's definitely not happening this year. colorado isn't known for its berries or jam-able fruit. sigh. and on a slightly different note--figs!! how i adore them! my parents in oregon have a couple of trees, and really ripe figs warmed by the sun are just the best.

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