Breakfast Figs

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• 6 quarts figs
• baking soda (one cup)
• 1 gallon water, boiling
• cold water
• 1 lemon, sliced (optional)
• 1 orange, sliced (optional)
• lemon juice (use the bottled kind)
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 5 1/4 cups water

Recipe

• 1 for the syrup: bring the sugar and water to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan over high heat.
• 2 reduce the heat to medium-low.
• 3 simmer, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved, 6 to 8 minutes.
• 4 select figs of uniform size and ripeness.
• 5 without removing the skins, plung figs into a bath made by adding baking soda to boiling water.
• 6 allow the figs to stand in the soda bath from five to ten minutes, depending on the weight of the skin.
• 7 when the skins of the figs become slightly transparent, remove to a bath of cold water and rinse thoroughly.
• 8 add fruit to syrup and bring to a gentle boil.
• 9 when the figs can be easily pierced with a toothpick or skewer, and the skins look clear and translucent, pack the fruit loosely into sterilized jars, filling any remaining spaces with the hot syrup.
• 10 add 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice to each quart or 1 tablespoon if you're canning in pints.
• 11 a slice of lemon and a slice of orange may be added to each jar, if desired.
• 12 remove trapped air bubbles by sliding a non-metallic spatula around the inside of the jar walls.
• 13 if needed, add more liquid, leaving 1/2" headspace.
• 14 wipe the jar rim with a clean, dampened paper towel to remove any food particles.
• 15 place prepared lids on jars and secure with metal ringbands following manufacturer's recommendations.
• 16 process in boiling water bath for 25 minutes, adding boiling water as needed during the processing.
• 17 when processing is complete, remove canner lid and use a jar lifter to remove jars and place them on a rack, dry towel, or newspaper.
• 18 allow the jars to cool, undisturbed, away from drafts for 12 to 24 hours.
• 19 to check the seal, listen for the familiar "ping" and look for the slight depression in the lid's center.
• 20 remove the ringbands, wipe jars with a damp cloth, and add labels.
• 21 store in a cool, dry, dark place.