Sunday, July 24, 2016

How To Make Fig Preserves - Getting Off The Grid


 
 
A man gave me the tree of figs. I am blown away by this kindness, so what to do? Make fig preserves! 

I made fig preserves two ways, first I did this version : I washed my half pint jars and warmed my lids, set aside.

2 quarts of chopped figs

4 cups of sugar

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup lemon juice

Wash figs in cold water and remove any stems.

Cover the figs with boiling water for 10 minutes.

Drain and chop, I chopped these in big pieces.

In a large cooking pot put the figs, sugar and water in and cook till the figs are tender and a syrup is thick. Add lemon juice and cook another minute.

Ladle into jar , clean rims and apply lids.

Process in a water bath for 10 minutes. 

Make 9 pints
 

 

Second version : Lemon figs



4 quarts of chopped figs

2 cups of sugar

1/2 cup water

1 lemon

Wash figs in cold water and remove any stems.

Cover the figs with boiling water for 10 minutes.

Drain and chop, I chopped these small pieces.

Wash and slice lemon thinly, remove the middle membrane and seeds, leaving a little flesh, then chop into small pieces.

In a large cooking pot put the figs, sugar and water in and cook till the figs are tender and a syrup is thick. Add lemon and cook another five minutes.

Ladle into jar , clean rims and apply lids.

Process in a water bath for 10 minutes.
 
 

That is how I preserved the figs I received this weekend, I do plan to make them two more ways as soon as I get more.

Figs are a special treat for me since this is the first year my small bush has figs but none of mine are ready, yet.


Friday July 22,2016 I got a call from a man and he asked " do you want some figs?" I answered with a "Yes!" and that is how it began. Getting off the grid is has a lot to do with sharing, the elderly gentleman was sent a watermelon and then not even two days later I was getting figs. So I made fig preserves. Then two days passed and I got the call " come pick`em" so I sent Tony to get the figs and I sent two pints of pickled eggs and that is not the end, his instruction were " come about every two to three days and pick them ALL!"

Caring is sharing. 


By Andria Perry
Photos by Andria Perry





8 comments:

  1. Wow, you have canned a lot of stuff already.

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  2. That is awesome. That is why I want a huge garden. That way I can trade or barter for the things I am not growing in my area.

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    1. I did not know how easy it was to trade food for food till this year. Well I did trade greens for pecans last year and I will again if the pecans make this year..

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  3. How wonderful that you were both able to help one another!

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    1. He just called and asked " do you want pears?" OMG! I will be dead.

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  4. We do a lot of trading here it seems to be the Thai way and I think it is lovely we have quite a little circle going and as you say sharing is caring.... :)

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  5. I hope to harvest the twenty figs from my tree this year. They seem to be at a standstill. I love free food. Sharing what you make from free food gets you more. Just gave my neighbor a large pot of quahog chowder I made from the quahogs he gave me. The rest are in the freezer for winter chowder.

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