ORIGINALLY POSTED JUNE 30, 2008
I picked about two gallons of figs this morning before 7 a.m. so I could get home and make preserves before the kitchen got too hot. Combining today’s harvest, with the previous three picking sessions, I had enough to make plenty of the delicious preserves–the recipe I already posted.
How about a step by step pictorial? Well, sorry, you’re gonna get one whether you really want it or not. All you seasoned “canners” out there can just skip all this, because it is intended for those Googlers who are going to start picking figs and doing a search for something different to do with figs this summer.
Search no more! I am going to teach you how to make the easiest and best tasting fig preserves, and your family and friends will NEVER know they are figs until you tell them. And that is no lie. Any of you on here who’ve had these can confirm that this is true in the comments section.
RECIPE: First you need a recipe, you know?
See? I told you I’ve been making this recipe for a long time. See the year on that one record? June 1985. Please pay no attention to that terrible-looking hang nail on that thumb. That hand model is way overdue for a manicure!
ASSEMBLE NECESSARY ITEMS:
The blue pot is for pre-boiling the jars and then also for the “hot water bath” after the jars are filled.
The stainless pot is for boiling the preserves.
There is a potato masher, large jar tongs, small lid tongs, a large jar funnel, and canning jars.
INGREDIENTS:
Figs, sugar, and Jello
JAR PREPARATION:
Boil the water in the blue pot and place the clean, empty jars in the water. My mother always emphasized that the secret to the lids sealing, is that everything has to be as close to boiling hot as you can get it. Some people run the jars in the dishwasher on a hot rinse and hold cycle, and some people pour boiling water in the jars as they sit in the sink. But I prefer to immerse them in the boiling pot.
In a smaller sauce pan, halfway full of water, bring it to boiling, add the lids and bands and keep on a soft boil. Even the lids and bands have to be boiling hot!
PREPARE THE FIGS:
I wash them in cold water, and Katybug adds a little baking soda to make them squeaky clean. I’m sure she does that to get all the bird poop off, right? Just kidding!
Cut off the stems and the bad spots. For a double batch of preserves, which is what I did here, measure 6 heaping cups of whole figs, or you can measure them accurately after they are mashed.
Mash the figs with the potato masher. I’m sorry this looks sort of gross. Mash them as course or as fine as you like. This is six cups of mashed figs. Put them in the cooking pot.
To the mashed figs, add (for a double batch) 6 cups of sugar and two large boxes of strawberry or raspberry Jell-O.
COOKING:
Stir and cook on medium/high heat until boiling.
A light foam will form across the top. Just ignore it. It will dissipate soon. No need to skim it off.
Continue stirring and boiling.
Until it looks a deep, gorgeous shade of red like this. The texture changes and the liquid begins to shine. This takes about 20-25 minutes.
It is done when a drop of the liquid hangs off the edge of the spoon. Look closely, and you will see it. I’m sorry. I took this photo six times, and still could not find a background that would make that droplet show up better than this. I know previously I said, “coat the spoon”, but it’s pretty much the same.
CANNING:
As quickly as you can, remove a few of the jars from the boiling pot with the small tongs and put them on a towel.
Put the canning funnel into the jar. (Can you tell I’ve been using it for 20+ years? Sad. I need a new, bright, shiny stainless one, which I will NEVER go out and buy. Never.)
I wear an oven mit on my left hand to hold the jar, while I fill it with the boiling liquid.
Using a clean dish cloth, wipe the rim clean, so that the rubber lid can make a solid seal.
Put the hot lids and bands on the jars, and screw down tightly.
Immerse the jars into the boiling water bath, making sure they are covered.
Boil them for 15 minutes.
Remove from the boiling pot and place on a towel to cool. Some people turn them upside to make sure the boiling liquid makes that final seal. Turn them over after about ten minutes and as they cool, they will seal and you will hear a ping or a pop. That is the lid sealing tightly to the jar rim. It is the wonderful sound of success.
Here are the fruits of my labors–14 half-pint jars and 3 pint jars. I prefer the half-pint jars, but I ran out, so the second double batch had to go in big jars, too.
And it’s a great feeling to be so productive before ten in the morning! After cleaning up, I rushed to the computer to make a timely post for you, but the internet was OUT, and it was out all day.
I hope you enjoy making these preserves for your family.
If you’ve ended up here looking for something kid-friendly to do with figs, please come back and leave a comment letting us know how you like it.
Psst! I feel a contest coming on. My birthday is coming up and I want to give you a gift!
BW
Filed under: Bayou Woman Cooks Tagged: | "fig preserves", "raspberry preserves", "strawberry preserves", figs
Great recipe! My 12 yo daughter made it this afternoon. I took a few pics of her first canning. We did not hear the pop! They look sealed….are they if it didn’t pop? Husband said best he has ever tasted…
Oh, wonderful! I’m so proud of your daughter! To check to see if they are sealed, touch the center top of the lid, and see if it dips down. If it goes down and stays down, it is sealed. If it’s already dipped down, then it is sealed. If it goes down and pops right back up, it is not sealed.
This recipe is a lifesaver! Despite my continued neglect of our 3 fig trees, the wretched things have been producing masses of sweet little figgies. Being too frugal for my own good, I decided to turn the bounty into fig preserves and found your brilliant recipe and website.
Jell-O stock is probably going up tomorrow because I picked 47 pounds of figs today and there is at least twice that still on the trees. I had some strawberries still in the garden so tossed them in with the figs. This is really very yummy.
The down side to this recipe is that my husband came home and expected to find hot biscuits to go with the preserves. Needless to say, after spending half the day in the garden and the other half in the kitchen, he isn’t getting hot biscuits tonight.
Now to see if you’ve got a recipe for watermelon rind pickles. Thanks again!
Your post made me smile! That’s a lot of frigs, Jeanne! Oh, and watermelon rind pickles was not something my Great Grandmother or mother ever made, and it’s not something my family eats, so sorry, I don’t have one. Good luck with all those figs! BW
Gosh, thank you SO much for this perfect recipe. My wonderful Mom made this back in early 70′s and is now in Heaven. I’m just so happy to have it now. It’s really delicious!!!
Thanks you for the great work that you do. God Bless You!!
Hi Karen, and welcome to the bayou. Now you get to carry on your mother’s memory and traditions. Isn’t that wonderful? God blesses me every day, Karen, in good ways and in trials. Thanks for your kindness in coming back by to leave a comment! Come back often- we have a good time here! BW
If Termite hasn’t solved the bird problem, send them my way. I picked 2 more gallons this afternoon and THERE’S STILL MORE! I’m really getting tired of figs! Between cannin, pickin, laundry, cooking supper, grocery run (had to get more sugar and Jello for tomorrow) and the cleaning up, I’m shot! To quote Yogi, tomorrow will be “Deja Vu, all over again”.
I just need to come get your figs!!!!!
Yummy! So you have fresh preserves now (not that the ones that have been hanging around in the pantry aren’t just as delicious)… when are you having us over for breakfast?
Any time you decide to come spend the night!
Everyone – my internet service has been mostly out for two days. Technician can’t come until Thursday, so if you don’t hear from me, that’s why.
BW
Are you TRYING to get me to short out my keyboard?!?! LOL That looks delicious! It would be so much fun to be able to cook together or can somthing like this! I have not forgotten your gift by the way – I still have to let ‘it’ cure for a few more days! I promise its worth it!! Thanks for sharing this!!
It has to cure? Now you’ve really got me curious!
The baking soda kills any bugs that the eye missed plus (according to Grandma Orr) it makes the figs a little sweeter. I still have a smidge of your preserves left in the jar you gave me several years back. I had some on a biscuit this morning and they’re still yummy! And do NOT get rid of that canning funnel…Rach wants it when you’re finished with it. Right Rach?
I can’t believe that jam hasn’t crystallized by now! I’m afraid Rach is not a junker like us, K!
I hereby bequeath the canning funnel to Katy Bug… I have the fortunate circumstance that my mother will live forever to make me jelly! (So, come to think of it, Katy Bug, that probably means you won’t get the funnel either! Sorry! *lol*)
Maybe I’ll become famous one day and auction it off for thousands of dollars!
Tonight at choir practice, I struck a deal with a couple concerning next year’s figs. They are going to come pick all the figs and we’ll split them between us. They have used Peach Jello as well as the Strawberry and Raspberry Jello. Tomorrow they are coming over to pick and if they make the Peach, I’m due a jar. I’ll let y’all know.
Mmmmmm. Peach? I love peach preserves and have always bought but never made my own. Please let me know ASAP so I can make some if you say it’s good.
Well shucks. Now I DO want the funnel!
These pictures brought back so many memories about strawberry fig preserves. I had to call my mom and talk about it. I need to move back south although I do love my four seasons here and the snow.
I’m touched, and so glad you called your mom. Memories of our moms is all some of us have left. Enjoy her while you can, Ellen. Why don’t you come visit us down the bayou? I’m sure I could find you a snake or two!
Oh, I do so love the pictorial instructions! Wonderful job! And I’m going to try these this year. I make a lot of regular fig jam, but there are always those few people in my family that don’t like the figgy taste, so I’m going to make at least one batch of yours and try it! Thanks so much for sharing!
Well, you better make one batch of each! Because they do taste different from each other. These preserves are loved by those who don’t even like figs! You’re just beginning, and my tree is just about finished!
If a jar doesn’t seal, what do I do next?
I’m not sure how this question slipped by me, but I am just now seeing it. Well, you can keep the preserves in the frig. for up to a month. How many jars are we talking about? If it’s only a few, go ahead and give them to people who will eat them right away. Or keep in your fridge until you use them yourself.
I made the strawberry fig preserves last night and they turned out great. I did add two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice-just because my Mother always did that. I’m making another batch and giving them out in my Christmas baskets to my neighbors. A couple of my jars didn’t “pop”, so I took the rings off and the seals are on there and not coming off. I think they’ll be ok. Thanks for the recipe for the strawberry and the plain old fig preserves. I’ll cook them tomorrow.
I have made my strawberry fig preserves but it seems to liquidy will it thicken as it cools? It smells and looks great though and thank you fo the pictures!!
Yes it will thicken some, but if you did the spoon test, where the drop hangs off the edge for a second or two before dripping, then it’s good and ready. You’ll know better next time around, right?
Hi! Noticed you had asked me to come back by and leave a comment for you…Your recipe is already a hit with my family & friends. I made 10 pint jars and 5 quart jars last weekend and will be making more this upcoming weekend (all my jars are already gone!) I had some of the preserves left over in the pot, after putting all I could in the jars, and my husband immediately scooped up the leftovers and proceeded to eat it with a spoon! Great recipe! Thanks for sharing it with us. “C’est Si Bon!”
(I shared your Blog with everyone visiting my Stumbleupon pages, too.)
Hope you have a great day!
Thanks for coming back, Mare! That is fantastic! Yep, we eat our extras right away too–it’s just too good not to! Glad you liked and passed it on to your Stumbleupon community!
I saw where Danielle was asking how to tell if her preserves have cooked long enough and I have a friend who has a tip for seeing if your jelly is ready. She keeps a teaspoon in ice water by the stove. When she thinks the preserves are ready she puts a small amount of the juice from the preserves in the teaspoon and leaves it for a few minutes. When you go back and look and the juice has thickened it’s ready. Not thick enough, cook a while longer and try again.
I don’t know if that works with this recipe, but for sure the drip off the spoon works for this particular recipe. I think each “stage” of setting is different. Some are thicker than others, but thanks for the tip for future use, Debbie!
Can I substitute sugar-free jello?
Well, the sugar in the Jello is a crucial part of the “jelling” process. I know when I use “Sure Jel” to make jams/preserves, it says not to reduce the sugar. So, there should be some alternatives on the internet because they do sell sugar free jams at the grocery. Good luck and let us know if you will!
SUGAR FREE RECIPE: We made 2 batches with Splenda and sugar free jello. The color is not as deep a red, but I think the consistency was almost the same. Not much to drip on the spool, though. They had a real good taste and is great for the diabetics. I’m not sure how they will keep, but they sealed just like the sugar ones did. We’ll see.
And this is great information, too. I’m going to edit your comment so others can see it’s a sugar free recipe. BW
Just wanted to say we tried the recipe, just got done, can’t wait to try it, I do have a question, we have some figs that we froze from last year, can you use frozen figs for this recipe also? let me know.
Thanks
Kim
Magnolia,Texas
Kim, welcome to the bayou! I would say yes you can use them BUT since they do have water content, let them thaw AND drain before cooking. I hope you like the mock strawberry!
Hi: I’m Kims husband, and those frozen figs worked great. In fact after talking with other folks it is really nothing new using frozen figs. Some men I deer hunt with said there wives have done it for years. They brought some peach fig preserves that were very good.
Thank you
Mark Yurkon
Magnolia Texas.
Well, tell us this, Mark. Is there anything we must do or not do in order to freeze figs for future use in preserves? I know they have a lot of water, so I assumed they would thaw out to mush. And also, did you let them thaw before making the jam? Or did you throw them in the pot frozen? Thank you very much for coming back here to report. Lots of folks visit this recipe and learn all they need to know about these delicious preserves. BW
After looking over the fig tree today in my backyard in Lafayette, my friend and I realized these figs will not be ripe enough to pick for at least 2 and possibly 3 weeks.
Could it be the weather and temp in Lafayette, Louisiana is that different from lower Terrebonne Parish?
Or pehaps it is because southwest Louisiana has experienced one of worst droughts since 1930s.
Southeast Texas grain crops have been dramatically impacted by drought of 2009.
After re-reading the directions for canning preserves tonight, I realized that my hands and my neck injuries would make real canning an impossible for task for me to do alone.
However, while searching for Jello and canning supplies at Albertson’s this afternoon, I found something called “Simple Creations”
No Cook Freezer Jam Fruit Pectin
Stir 4 cups of fresh fruits (peaches, starwberries, apricots, cherries, grapes, pears, plums or other tender fruit…crushed
combine in mixing bowl crushed fruit, 1 !/2 cup of sugar, 3 Tbsp lemon joice from fresh lemon. Blend weel.
Let stand for 10 minutes
Bring to a boil
Gradually stir on contents of pectin package. Stir three minutes longer and heat to a boil.
Ladle and store in Bell Jars.
Will keep in fridge 3 weeks. in freezer one year.
So perhaps tomorrow afternoon I will try crushing and boing fresh peaches and see how this experiment works.
I hope it goes well for you, Lillian. Be sure and get some help with those heavy pots!
I just made a batch of your figs ala strawberry preserves and the 2nd jar just popped as I’m typing this! I has a little extra, not enough to even half fill a pint jar and it’s delicious! Thanks so much for the pictorial directions and recipe. I will share your website with my friends.
Fran Plauche’
South Louisiana
Welcome to this bayou, Fran! And thanks so much for taking the time to visit and let us know how this went for you. It is delish, isn’t it? You are very welcome for the pictorial directions. I have been canning since my kids were babies, (and I”m not ancient yet) but I can remember doing this when no one else was . . . and having older ladies make jokes about how cheap it was to just go buy a jar of jam. I find preserving the things you have at hand very rewarding . . . and on this site that is figs, about five different ways, and muscadines, (compliments of LilSis’s in-laws sharing their bounty), so far! If I had had enough fresh peaches given to me from my friend in Alabama who came to visit, I would have done some spiced pickled peaches, too! Again, merci boucoup!!!! BW
Hello again! I love doing things the ‘old fashioned’ way. In fact , the same day I made the figs ala strawberry, I had made my homemade bread dough for pizzas, the way my husband’s grandmother made. She too made the fig/strawberry preserves but no one had her recipe for that. When my husband walked inside, the first thing he said was, “Wow, it smells like mawmaw’s house!” What better compliment could I get? I sent a jar to my sis-n-law and she too had memories of her mawmaw when she tasted your recipe. She had passed about a year ago at the age of 93 so you can imagine the memories that come when you taste something that she would have made. Anyway, as I was waiting for my next harvest of figs to ripen, I spotted your old fashioned fig recipe. I couldn’t wait to try it. Well, today was the day and I had to write you again to tell you how great they came out! I am so pleased that I could do this but it’s only because of your easy directions and pictures. I didn’t double the batch since the birds only left me 4 cups worth but I did use 4 slices of lemon, following the example in the photo, not remembering that you were making double batch, and it taste great w/ 4 slices. Not bitter or over lemony at all. Just perfect! I think I’ve got one more good harvest left….now I have to decide, do I make another batch of strawberry fig or the ol’ fashioned recipe……hmmm. Have to do the family taste test and get back with ya’ to see which one wins!
Thanks again, Fran
OR Fran, you could make whole figs, which are very delicious in their own way! Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience with us. There are many who share the joy of bringing back memories for family and friends. Makes me feel great!!!
I can’t thank you enough for this post! I have never made this before and your pictures and instructions made it sooo easy. I just did 24 1/2 pint jars of strawberry and some of blackberry/rasberry (YUMMY!)
(new jello flavor blackberry fusion?)
I am quite proud of my sefl heeeehhheee
Thanks again!
HI Stacie! Welcome to the bayou! I’m glad you were brave enough to try these preserves. They really are good! And the black fusion is a new jello flavor, as far as I know. Let me know if the blackberry was sticky, will you? BW
My dad has lots of figs every year, so make lots of preserves. Last year, for a change, I used blackberry Jello instead of strawberry and it was wonderful. My family loves everything blackberry and couldnt tell the difference.
Hi Carol and welcome to the bayou! I tried Blackberry Fusion this year, and have a question for you: What do you do to keep this jam from being sticky? How long do you cook it after it comes to a boil? Thanks! BW
Do you think this would work with Splenda for sugar, and sugar free jello????
Hi Margaret . . . I am searching for the reader who commented on this very question. I think you have to get some Sure Jell to use along with it s the sugar helps the fruit to “gel”. I think she found her information on the Splenda website that told her how to substitute it.
Here, Margaret. Check this out:
http://www.splenda.com/page.jhtml?id=splenda/faqs/everydayemails.inc#1
Awesome! never knew how much I liked fresh figs until the other day. Then I decided to look at canning them and found this recipe! My goodness! Strawberry Jam is my favorite, but now I’m not so sure!
Woo hoo! Candy! I hope you become another fan of this wonderfully easy recipe!!! Also, the old fashioned fig preserves is divine, as you will read in the comments section below the photo step by step recipe! Good luck!
Now I have my mother-in-law and all of her friends at Lake Tansi, Holiday Out campsite in Crossville, TN hooked on this jam. Guess we’re gonna have to “gear up” for next year’s harvest. Even planting more trees! Thanks again, Candy.
We make a similar version to your recipe and it’s wonderful. We also save the excess juice and can just like the preserves. We put the juice in the jars and the fig chunks that’s left in the juice. It is a wonderful syrup. This keeps you from having wasted juice and gives you some good syrup to put on pancakes.
Great idea, Phil!
I forgot to mention that we just cut our figs in half rather than mash them. That probably has a lot to do with why we have so much juice. We just did a triple batch the other day and had 5 pints of fig preserves and
6 1/2 pints of syrup. Which is ok with us because we love the syrup.
Thanks for the pictures!!
I first discovered fig-strawberry preserves last year. A relative gave me a jar that was made in ol’south Georgia. It was absolutely fabulous. I had never had figs before ( except Fig newtons, of course). I have been searching for figs ever since. I live in Florida- sadly, they are not plentiful down here. Finally, I found some in the supermarket- $6 a pound!!!! But they were on sale–for $3/lb. So I bought some and some jello – now I have to track down small jars! I can’t wait to try it out!
Good luck with your jelly, Tammy, and welcome to the Bayou! If I can help you, please just let me know! BW
Wow- I followed the recipe and now I have 7 jars of fabulous fig-strawberry jam. It took two pounds of store bought figs to make 3cups of mashed figs. I had 4 lbs but not enough jello.
So after 2 days of being at work I now have time to try some more– today, I am trying blueberry/fig jam and more strawberry/fig jam. I bought 6 more lbs of figs while they were on sale…. Thanks so much for having this blog with the photos – it really helps the novice like me. I come from a long line of “canners” but now they are either to far away or have passed on ….
well, have to get busy !!!! ( oh, and I will be looking to plant some fig trees for the future!)
Thanks again –
Tammy in Fl.
Super, Tammy! This is what REALLY excites me about canning and sharing recipes . . . handing things down and keeping traditions alive. And now YOU, way down in Florida have joined the club! We do lots of fun things here at Bayou Woman, and I’d like to invite you to become a regular reader and you might win a gift from Community Coffee of Louisiana. They give away a gift each week by random drawing from folks who read daily and comment! So, come on down the bayou with us, cher! Thanks for the great comment!
Have you ever made FROG jam? It is a combination of figs, raspberry, orange and ginger. If you have, would you please share the recipe? Thanks!
Hi Renee! That sounds very interesting. I have never made it nor have I even heard of it before! Maybe one of the readers here has made it and will leave us a recipe soon! Good luck with your fig preserves! BW
Interesting my mom has been making that recipe long before you were born. Im the youngest of 13, and i can remember my mom making that exact recipe when i was just 5 years old, that was in 1969. I asked how long she had been making strawberry fig preserves and she said since the early fifties, so my moms recipe was first, and some how got copied and passed on many times. Sadly my mom passed away in 2004, taking with her many more great recipes.
Hi Camille, and welcome to this bayou! Long before I was born? Thank you for the compliment! I was in 8th grade that same year!! Anyway, your beloved mom was on the cutting edge, was she not? Sorry for your loss. My mom has been gone since 1991, and I really miss her, so I know how you feel. BW
AWESOME!! I’ve been looking for this recipe, my grandmother used to make this.
YEAH!!
e
Glad to be of service, to you Elisabeth! I hope you enjoy making them!
My mother used to make this when I was a child. This has always been my favorite recipe. I can’t wait to make it. I don’t have any jars or canning stuff yet but I will go and get it. I check my figs everyday just waiting for them to be ripe. Thanks for the recipe.
You are most welcome, Tama, and I hope it goes well for you. Be sure and check your local “free cycle” yahoo group for free jars and also garage sales!!! BW
Hello again BW,love that name. I went to visit my aunt and took her more preserves; she told me that she would love to make some before she died(she’s 91),so here we are in my kitchen making a batch of the easiest fig(aka) moke strawberry fig jelly.Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us.Just made 12 -1/2 pints of the strawberry,now she wants raspberry.Oh,by the way,on the back burner there’s a big pot of venison stew(your recipe),she has invited several of her friends for supper.Good friends,good food, what more can a guy ask for.Love everything about your site.God bless you and your family.
Hey C ( is it Charley?) anyway, this comment has really touched my soul today. We are on the fringes of approaching oil in the marshes I love (and live in), due to strong south winds and waves created by Alex, even though it’s hundreds of miles SW of us. I just picked figs off my tree for the second day in a row. They are a week early for us. I am not prepared to cook them, as I had not yet purchased my Jello or sugar or lids. Oh my! It has rained here for four days after a long dry spell, and all we want to do is stay indoors. Guess I’ll be going into town after all. Tell you Aunt that she inspires me! Thanks again for great conversation! BW (PS, if you click on HOME you will always see my most current post. Today it is hand-made jewelry from gar scales harvested by my neighbor.)
We went to celebrate July 4th at my mom’s along the coast of Texas and her fig trees were full! It has been a few years since they have produced this much. My husband and I picked a lot and brought them back with us. I asked mom for her old fig jam recipe but she couldn’t find it. Boy was I glad to find yours! Just finished a double batch and think I’ll call mom and have her bring more figs when she comes next week. Thanks for making the process easy to follow and successful!
I’ve been cooking and jarring figs for days and I just add it to the other things I’m doing. It really is SO EASY, and if you get interrupted, just put the pot in the frig. and finish cooking them tomorrow. It’s better to start the cooking process and STOP the ripening process rather than let them sit and rot, right? So glad you took the time to leave a comment and I hope they turn out great, J’Lee! BW
Hello! Like all the other responses, Thank you for your wonderful recipe with detail instructions and pictures! I am making my first batch (double batch) as we speak and was wondering a couple of things. First, I have ALOT of figs already (yeay!). I have about 14 cups of mashed figs right now. I wasn’t sure if I could more than double the recipe; how big can you go? Also, if I don’t have enough jars tonight to finish the other mashed figs I have here, what is the best way to keep them? Should I go ahead and cook the recipe and put it in the fridge, or just put the mashed figs in the fridge, or freeze them? And 1 more question, can I make a “lower” suger batch…1/2 the sugar, or sugar substitue…? What are your thoughts on that? I am trying to make them diabetes friendly for my grandpa.
Thanks!
Hi B. Thanks for the sweet words. You can make as big a batch as your pot can bring to a rolling boil, but just remember, you must have a big enough pot to boil all those jars in immediately after filling. Figs do not do well frozen–too much water when they thaw. They will stay in the frig maybe one day mashed. You might try partially cooking a batch, refrigerate overnight, and then finish cooking next day and jar. I’m still not sure about reduced sugar, because it is needed to “set” the jam. But you sure could try and let us know!!!! Good luck! BW
luv your recipes. do you have one for peach preserves?
Please help me.My husband is so proud of our abundant fig crop this year and I am afraid I have ruined the final batch of preserves.
After I washed the figs( my 4th large batch of preserves) I forgot to soak them in baking soda .Figs are now in the fridge with total amount of sugar .What can I do?
Is baking soda vital ?
No, ma’am. Baking soda is not vital. Honestly? I never use. I think my cuz, KatyBug says it’s to kill the bugs. So, never fear. Your figs are fine. Go ahead and cook away! Good luck! BW
My Mom use to make this jam and I have been searching everywhere for this recipe . Thanks and I hope it is the same as hers.
Hi Sue, and I hope it is the same, also. It’s very basic and almost impossible to mess up (unless you burn it!) Good luck! BW
I am new to canning. Mine are a little runny comming out of pot. I did’t hear jars pop! Will the jam turn out ok
They might be runny because of too much water or not cooking them down long enough. Check the top of each jar like this to see if they “sealed”. Look at the center of the lid, does it look concave? Now, touch the center with your finger. If you can depress it with your finger, then it did not seal. They will not have a very long shelf life because they are not airtight. If all of them did not seal, and you don’t plan to eat the jam quickly, you might want to put them back in a pot, cook them down more, clean the jars, put them in boiling hot water, use NEW LIDS, keep the lids and bands in a pot of boiling water. Remember: Everything must be HOT HOT HOT in order for the jars to seal. Then they have to boil for ten minutes, totally immersed. I’m sorry you had trouble, but hang in there. You will get it right, okay? BW
Hi bayou woman, thank you so much for such and easy recipe. I did not know what to do with the figs, so I went on line and found your recipe and I am so pleased. I saved it on my computer so that I will never have to wonder what to do with figs again. Most of all they are delicious.
Hey Etta!!! Is this the one I know from down the bayou? Hope you love the recipe! We sure do love it! BW
Thanks for this recipe. I have been searching online almost all night to find a recipe for fig preserves since all my recipe books are at my home ( I am visiting my sister). We have been given about 3 gallons of figs and we needed a recipe .
All night long? I’m so sorry that this recipe was SO FAR DOWN the search engine list! With a couple hundred views a day, I thought it would be way up at the top of the list. Oh wait, I can go do a google check for myself, lol!!! Hope the recipe works well for you! BW
hi ya BW just finished my strawberry figs. They sure look pretty. I’m dsone withe the figs now! whatever is still on the tree the neighbors and the birds can enjoy. your pics look good enough to eat.
fingers crossed about well cap!!!
God Bless
They are so pretty in the jar, aren’t they? My figs have gone to the squirrels and birds, too. And yes, fingers crossed.
I remember my mother making these and I have been wanting to try this recipe! While I was on a trip my husband picked me some figs, so it looks like I am going to be busy tomorrow! Thanks for the great pictures!
My pleasure!
I was born in Tallahassee, FL and split my childhood years between Concord, FL (more affectionately known as Coon Bottom) and Slidell, LA. I spent every summer with my Grandma in Coon Bottom helping her can everything from pickles to strawberry fig preserves. Those are some of the best memories of my life. Grandma passed away several years ago, and finding this recipe brought back so many of those wonderful memories! I am forced to live in upstate New York right now due to my husband’s job, but I am desperate to get back home to the south! Thank you so much for the trip down memory lane and the wonderful recipe….they turned out just like Grandma’s!
It gives me great joy to read your letter. Continuing to do the things our grandmothers and mothers did forms what I call a “continuum”. It keeps us connected, especially when we have a canning tool, or bowl, or spoon, or piece of furniture in the house that adds a visual dimension to our memories. Thanks for stopping by and leaving such a blessing comment. So, the figs are ripe in upstate New York? Mine are completely finished for about a week now. I love those two weeks of knowing somewhere in my day I will pick and put up fresh figs. Please come back often. We have a great group here and an interactive time. BW
I made the strawberry fig preserves yesterday with my sister. We lost our Mama in June and she had always made these for us. I picked them 4 times last year and told her to call me so she could teach me how to make them. Everytime I’d go see if she was ready, she would have them all done! I never got the opportunity to learn. I was so worried that I’d never have them again and I kept watching and waiting for the figs to get ripe. Thanks so much for your step-by-step instructions with pictures! They were so helpful and mine actually tasted and looked like hers. It was a very bittersweet experience for us and we enjoyed making them in her kitchen.
Oh, Susan, your comment really blesses me. Makes taking the time to do the photos well worth the effort. LilSis and I lost our mom back in 1996, and making preserves is one way we honor her and keep her memory alive. Thank you for taking the time to share your story. My heart is warmed, sincerely warmed. BW
Hi Bayou Woman,
I was born in Monroe and lived in new orleans and Luling early in my life. I now live in Lake Jackson, tx
I’ve been canning regular fig preserves for a long time.
My strawberry figs always turn out thin or runny..
Now, I know to keep boiling and cook then down, so to speak.
I love blackberries. Have you ever tried the blackberry Jello that some one mentioned?
I would hate to ruin a batch of figs if they did not taste good.
What are your thoughts.
thanks,
love reading through all of these posts.
Jim
Hi Jim and welcome to the bayou. Thanks for the brief history! Yes, if you read enough of the comments, you will see that I did a batch of them last year. They were just OK because the blackberry fusion jello didn’t have a deep, deep blackberry flavor. It’s worth a one-time try, though. You might LOVE it!!!
Oh, and I have a big sis, two nieces, two nephews, and two grand nephews who live in Luling!!!
Alice,
Luling looks a lot different today than when I lived there in 1964. I worked at the Monsanto Plant.
Wish I had read your reply to me on the Blackberry fusion Jello about 45 minutes ago. I could not find any just straight Blackberry, so I took a chance and bought the Blackberrry fusion. I am making it now as I type.
I better love it or it will top my priority list for giving away!
Right now, I am waiting for the drop to stick to the spoon.
bye,
Jim
Oh, please don’t be mad at me, Jim! The blackberry will still be delicious because it’s still home made!!! Oh, and my friends either call me Wend or BW or Captain Wendy, but never Alice!!! (Even though I often seem to be in my own Wonderland!) BW
OK Wend,
I’ve been boiling another batch today for at least 2 hours. Yours have to be pretty thin after only boing for 20/25 minutes.
Jim
Still waiting for the drop to hang on the spoon.
I’m sorry, Jim, but you’re the first person who has seemed to have this problem. I did open a jar of the batch that I only cooked 25 minutes, and they come easily out of the jar, but they are thick enough for us to slather on toast and biscuits. After two hours, yours are going to be so sticky, they won’t spread. The liquid will drop “off” the spoon but it hangs before it drops. This is not a “precise” art, Jim, so hang in there and maybe just settle for 45 minutes! A happy medium!
Thank you for the wonderful instructions, my question is if i do not have access to fresh figs can i use the dried figs to make this.
You would have to figure out how to “hydrate” them first. Good luck and let us know how it works for you.
This is my first try at making this jam…Sounds yummy.
Your directions are excellent.
Good luck! You will LOVE both making, eating, and sharing this jam. It IS yummy!
You are very correct.. Cooking for 2 hours makes it thick. However: remember the old M&M candy theme!
It melts in your mouth and not in your hand.
Well, After 2 hours,, It spreads on the bread and not on the plate.
Also, the Blackberry Fusion is good; however, it is not blackbery. The rasberry flavor is dominant. Not my favorite, but still sweet and good. Wish there was a pure blackberry jello.
bye, Jim
Hi
I just wanted to tell you how wonderful it was to come across your site and your recipe. I had just picked a mess of Raspberries and was canning them with a combo of pectin and raspberry jell-o (tastes good), but then I noticed that someone on another site said that if you use jell-o you should not use reg. canning jars for fear of botulism. I started searching for second opinons more or less and came across your site. I got so intrigued by your wonderful recipes I forgot why I was there…LOL Would you happen to know about raspberry preserves and raspberry jell-o and canning jars being a bad combo? I never heard of it, but now I’m curious.
Keep up the beautiful work!
God bless’
Ann
Hi Ann! You have fresh raspberries? I’m jealous!!! Your question intrigues me. I’ve been using Jell-O and fresh figs to make these preserves for almost 30 years and NEVER have I had a jar spoil. I think I can safely say there is no connection between using Jell-O and botulism. What I CAN say, however, is that someone’s jars didn’t seal one year and it happened to be a Jell-O recipe, so they’re blaming it on the Jell-O. I’m sure you know this, but just remember that all elements must be BOILING hot: the jars, the liquid, the lids, and bands, AND the boiling bath in order to get a good seal on those jars.
I’m so glad you found me, and I welcome you back. We’ve built a great readership here of great folks from all over, AND we do contests and give away some cool stuff once in a while. Most recently, I gave away some jewelry made by one of my readers. So, please come back often! BW
This is my second time doing this recipe. It is so easy and the jam is so good. The first recipe I did I used strawberry jello, the second recipe I did I used raspberry jello, so good.
Excellent! Another satisfied customer! LOL!
Hey, Bayou Woman! Been searching the web for this recipe, and wow did I find a good one!! You are fantastic, your instructions are great, and the pictures (including the fingernail) are sooo much help. I don’t do a lot of cooking, but came out with only one towel on fire, a burned thumb, and only two broken jars. For me…. an excellent day!! Just made 21 jars for Christmas gifts and plan to make more. Thank you so much for your help!!!!!!!!! luv, Wild Waco Woman
Good Morning, BW. I have a question and it sounds like from reviewing the threads that you would be the perfect person to ask. I made some fig preserves last year and have not been thrilled with them. They sealed perfectly and there doesn’t appear to be anything wrong with them; however, I recently tried the Strawberry Fig Jam recipe and love it. Can I take the fig preserves out of the jars, mash them, put them on the stove and add Strawberry Jello, cook them down, and have them turn out like the ones done from scratch? I believe the recipe that I used called for the same amount of sugar as the Strawberry Fig preserve recipe uses.
What I fear, Sandra, is that you will end up with a gooey sticky mess. HOWEVER, since you don’t care of the way they taste as they are, what do you have to lose? I would do this: Pour them in a strainer, and strain the syrup off. Now, mash them and pour off any excess liquid. Next Measure them by the cup following the rest of this recipe. And THEN, come back here and let us know how this worked out for you!! Good luck! BW
Thanks, BW. I will surely let you know how it turns out. It hadn’t occurred to me to strain the syrup off. I see that doing so would increase my chances. Thank you so much for your advice.
i did the receipe from another person cooked on 4 minutes put in jars and open a jar its like soft taffy what did i do wrong
Hi Brenda! I’m not sure what you did wrong because soft taffy seems sticky to me, like overcooking. But 4 minutes is not overcooked for this recipe. Why don’t you try it this way and see what happens? Good luck! Sorry your first batch was not a success. We’ve had great success with this recipe! BW
Hi, Bayou Woman. I tried the experiment we discussed above and it appears you were pretty much correct in your analysis. I strained all the syrup from the fig preserves, mashed them and followed the recipe from that step forward, except that I only added two cups of sugar to three cups of figs and 6 oz. Strawberry Jello and cooked for 20 minutes. It may have been better if I had stopped the cooking at 15 minutes but I don’t think it would have made a lot of difference. After the jars are sealed, the preserves appear to be very thick and stick to the bottom of the jar when I turn them upside down. It was definitely worth the try but not worth taking a chance on ruining the remainder of my fig preserves, which are good — just not as good as the strawberry fig preserves made from scratch by your recipe. Thank you for your advice.
So, basically, we can deduce from this that the preserves “crystallized” because there was no “pectin” left in the fruit since it was no longer fresh. That makes sense. So thanks for coming back and sharing this valuable lesson with the rest of us, Sandra! BW
I am from new zealand and really want to try the strawberry recipe but not sure what our equivalent to your jello is? We have jelly crystals in 85g boxes that makes 2 cups of jelly so what is a large box of jello equivalent?
A small box of flavored gelatin dessert called “Jell-O” is 85 grams, so a large box is twice that much. So, you could use two small boxes for one batch. When you say jelly crystals, is that the same thing as our flavored Jell-O? If so, then this should work just fine. Let me know how it goes, shall you? And by the way, you are not the first from New Zealand/Australia to make this recipe! Good luck! BW
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I’ve never canned anything sweet because I’ve been afraid of food born illness. But I think with your detailed instructions I’ll give it a try. Thanks!
Can you leave the figs whole? ?? And add orange or lemon slices? My grandmother made a red fig preserve but the figs were whole and it had big slices of citris and I’m thinking this is like hers….thanks
I think it would be a WONDERFUL thing if you experimented with this and came back and let us know what you did and how it worked for you. We love new things to do with figs, so please come back and tell us, okay? The only reason we mash them in this recipe is to make them resemble berries, aka “Mock Strawberry Preserves” is the real name. I would use lemon, but I’m not sure about the orange. You might have to combine both of my recipes in order to do this. One question, was the liquid in her preserves thick or thin? The Jell-O is going to make it very thick. Good luck!
off to the store to pick up jello!
Hi,
I have just finished my mock strawberry preserves. I hope I cooked them long enough. I did the spoon test, and they seemed ready to can, but as I was putting them in jars they seemed runny.
I was wondering, if they are still runny after they are cooled down do you think that they can be recooked and canned again?
Im new to canning, and really just experimenting. By the way, thanks for the great site.
Well the jars have sealed, and look to be thick. Cant wait to open a jar tommorow morning, and see how the turned out.
I bet they will be wonderful!! Congratulations! You have joined the ranks of centuries of women who have put up food for their families! BW
Well the jars have sealed, and look to be thick. Cant wait to open a jar tommorow morning, and see how the turned out.
Well I opened my mock preserves today with some fresh biscuits. It is wonderful. It set up perfectly, so apparently I did the spoon test correct. I cant wait for my children to wake up and get a taste.
Oh, Rhodonna, that is wonderful! I’m so glad! Again, welcome to the canning club! You are now an official member! BW
Hi Rhoda, and welcome to the bayou. Thanks for the kind words. No, I would not try to cook them again. Just boil longer next time. They will still set some and will still be very, very good to eat on toast and biscuits. I have friends who use it as ice cream topping when it is kind of thin. Also, if you over cook it, it gets gummy and then not good for much of anything!!! Thanks for leaving feedback! BW
MIne turned out to be really thick and hardened like candy. What did I do wrong?
Hi Jeanne. Welcome to the bayou. Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. You cooked them too long. Remember when you are cooking sugar, it is the base for candy making, so it can be cooked to many stages. You cooked it long enough to become like caramel!! Also, maybe your heat was too high also? I hope you can try again, and good luck ! BW
im soooo excited ive always been told ur not a true southern woman till u can can something…..so here i am a first timer…ur instructions were very easy to follow and now im not just feeding the birds my figs
cant wait to get some more tomorow
Well then, Deb, let me be the first to welcome you to the Bayou Woman Canning Club! You truly are a southern woman now! I am so excited, too! It’s just beginning for you! Please come back soon and join the readers here! BW
I can still taste those figs! They were yummy…..thanks for sharing them. I brought a few in a ziploc home with me to enjoy for a couple of days.
Good, at least somebody got some! I just went and checked the tree, thinking I could make one batch of whole fig preserves, but the trip is STRIPPED BARE. I mean not one fig left.!
Oh man, I bet it was that guy who tried it before we got there! Whoever it was, I hope they get sick from eating stolen figs.
Bw I made your old fashioned fig preserves last year and also the blackberry fusion ones this year. I quarter my figs and don’t mash them. I am going to do strawberry when I get my next batch as my tree is loaded with green figs. My tree makes a large purple fig and puts on very big figs that ripen about a month before the more normal size does. Also I don’t do the hot water boil after the jars are filled and have had no problem with sealing but you are right that everything has to be boiling hot at the time of filling the jars. You may want to try that sometimes.
I truly enjoy your site. Judy
Hi Judy, thanks for sharing your tips. Quartering the figs sounds like a good idea. As I said, I don’t care to have another bad experience with having jars not seal. It’s just too much hard work to waste. Boiling isn’t a big deal to me, so I’ll just keep on doing it! And thanks for the kind words, too, Judy! BW
Sounds like Judy has “Turk” figs. That is what my mom has and a large tree that is drooping with sugar figs! They are small and very sweet. My neighbors tree is getting ripe and I have permission to help myself to all I want. They don’t like them.
I’ll let all of you have the preserves. I never could make myself like it. But, I love fresh picked figs and give me homemade plum jelly and I am very happy!
My tree didn’t produce enough this year to cook down. So we just ate them raw. I guess it was a good thing. I’ve been so busy caring for Daddy, I don’t think I would have had the time, not to mention the energy. I’ve averaged 3 hrs. of broken sleep for the last week.
Oh, Steffi, I’m sorry to hear that. Hang in there!
Pretty sweet still. I can’t figure out fresh figs up here at store. Just like inside of raw eggplant. Yucko.
Muddy river wading today and flat tire on bike. Grrrrrrr.
I guess preserves aren’t for folks with diabetes, Blu. So, they’re not too sweet for the average person.
I get fig preserves from some far off mid eastern place at Fresh Market.
Pretty good but fresh figs up here are not sweet at all.
Heat Index was 115 for a bit today here. You would of loved it.
Let’s try this.
As these weren’t too ugly bad.
[IMG]http://i865.photobucket.com/albums/ab220/blufloyd/07-13-2011blackmission.jpg[/IMG]
Feel free to edit as required.
Thank you so much for posting this!! My grandmother always made this and she pasted away before I thought to get her recipe. So, I searched and found you!! I can quite a bit but didn’t know this recipe!! So, far today I’ve done about half the figs and put up 29 jars. I always freeze them until I’m ready to deal with them- so I’ve had them in the freezer for about two weeks. I was busy canning tomatoes!! Today I’ve done a mix of both Strawberry and Raspberry and I think I’m going to make a store run and try a blackberry and see how that turns out!! I already put up two bushells of peaches so I’ll skip that one.Again, thank you so much!! Kyla from Mobile,AL
Whew, Kyla! I’m tired just reading about all your canning experiences. Tell me something . . . there have been several questions in the comment section of my “Plain Old Fashioned Fig Preserve” recipe about how to freeze figs. Can you tell us exactly what you do to keep them from turning mushy or gray? I wish I lived closer to you because I would come BEG you for some peaches and tomatoes!!!! Keep up the great canning work. I am very honored to have this mock berry recipe sitting in jars alongside your others. I like the blackberry, although it was a little sticky for some odd reason. I hope you have great luck with it! Would you come back and let us know and answer my question? Thanks! BW
Hello Again, Just finished ALL the figs- 65 jars! I gonna sound like Forest Gump- Plain Ole’ Figs, Strawberry Figs, Raspberry Figs, Grape Figs, And My Own Creation- Harverst Fig. Skip the Grape- it’s just ok and looks pretty gross.I’m about 20 minutes to a Walmart or a grocery store so I just ran up to the local market and they didn’t have the blackberry. So that’s why I tried the grape and came up with the “harvest”. It turned out well- I used Orange Jello, 2 tsp of cinnamon and 1 tsp of nutmeg. It starts out a funny color and the color deepens and looks more like pumpkin. As for the question you asked me- I don’t wash my figs in baking soda- never even heard of that. I promptly pick them and wash them, then cut the stems off and throw them into a freezer bag. I put about 12 cups into a bag. (or whatever I have from the day) and throw into the freezer. I get a couple of bags before I can. I don’t normally leave them in the freezer more than a couple of weeks. During canning season I spend about 4 days a week in the kitchen canning all day!! Where are you in La?? Have friends in Covington. Just teaching me friend to can.
Kyla in Mobile
Whew, girl, that is a CANNING MARATHON!!! And thanks for the tips on how you freeze your figs. I think the problem my reader had is that they tried to keep them way too long in the freezer. Some things just don’t freeze well forever! I’m going to type this out to make it easy for those looking for how to do this . . . . and the orange sounds very, very interesting. Hey, why not experiment when you have more than enough?
HOW TO FREEZE FIGS: Pick, wash, cut stems, throw into freezer bag and freeze. Use within one month.
Hiya Wend!
We bought a house in NC four years ago that had been a rental for about a decade. There was a root system by the western wall that had been mowed over every single summer. We didn’t know what it was, but we left it be, and it took only three years to grow tall and start producing figs! I didn’t know what to do with ‘em last year, but this year I got two crops from it, and the tree is now about nine feet tall and twelve feet wide!
Thank you so much for these recipes! I’ve made cinnamon fig jam, mock strawberry jam, and am planning on peach for tomorrow!
Now the only thing I have to worry about is how long it will take us — and all our friends — to eat through it all!
Give it away in Christmas gifts to teachers, co-workers, etc. Wrap a pretty ribbon around the top and print out a cute card saying what the ingredients are! People LOVE getting homemade things made with love! Who would have thought that root would turn out to be a beautiful tree? And so great for y’all saving it. Another reader, Beth, said they saved some fig trees in NC and the tree thanked them by producing mass quantities of the sumptuous fruits! To me, that is just such a great story—-BOTH STORIES!!! I hope the recipes here have been helpful! Thanks for stopping by and come back any time. BW
[...] For step-by-step instructions with photos, check out this link. [...]
Wow–that’s a lot of figs! Thanks so much for sharing a link over on my blog too. My readers will love it.
Wow… Thank you for your informative site. I am trying to find interesting recipes to make tasty treats out of our figs. So far, it has been not so good chutney, really tasty fresh strawberry and fig preserves and some decent tasting chutney that I need to rest for 30 days. I am going to try your fig preserves with the lemon slices. It looks delicious. Thanks for your website it is really interesting and I love your humor. Dorothy
Hi Dorothy, and welcome to the bayou. Well, my figs are ripening a month early this summer and I’m not happy about it, as the starlings are having a field day at the top of the tree while I watch helpless to stop them. Usually, I am preserving figs around my birthday in early July. Sheesh, I hope I have time to pick and preserve some before the critters get them all. I’m glad you like the site and thanks for taking your time to leave a comment. I hope you enjoy the old fashioned figs with lemon, we surely do! Happy canning! BW
This was AWESOME you explain so wonderful. I have md this for yrs but i always used surejel. It ture out i think better using your way. Thank you so very much for sharing
Hi, Margaret and welcome to the bayou. Well, it’s just a great way to diversify your figs and get more use out of them! I mean, who doesn’t love a good strawberry preserve? But now, you don’t have to buy strawberries!! You can use your figs! Glad you liked it. There are several more fig preserve recipes on here if you care to take a look. The Old Fashioned Fig preserves seem to be everyone’s favorite, with no Sure-Jel used at all. Just lots of cooking and love! BW
Ms. Billiot,
Can’t tell you the number of people I’ve sent to this website. I just hope they came.
Got a question for you. My fig tree is laden and I don’t have the time to work with the figs at the moment, I’m wondering if I can freeze them after I’ve cleaned and snipped off the tips of the ends? I’m thinking that I can freeze them in 3 cup sized baggies till I can get around to making this recipe later. I sure hope you can answer soon as I’m proceeding ahead with doing this very thing.
Welcome to the bayou, Crystal, and you can call me BW or Capt. Wendy!!! I hate to tell you but figs don’t freeze well because they have so much water content. However, if you want to try this, turn your freezer up to coldest setting, place whole figs on trays and freeze them individually. Then put into zip lock bags. If you have a little time, go ahead and make a double batch of your ripest figs using this recipe(or any of my others). Also, your less ripe figs will last in the refrigerator a few days and still be good for making preserves. Sorry I didn’t see this last night, but I went to bed kinda early. Thanks for referring folks to this blog, and where are you from? If you ever want to write more extensively, please use the contact box at the bottom of any other page on the blog, and it will come straight to my email where I can answer you more fully. Happy preserving! BW
I love your recipe for fig/strawberry jam ,I have been giveing to a lots of friends and relativesand everyone is makeing it
Well, thanks Harry! Glad to be of service!!! So do this, be sure and tell them about the blog so we can get more down to earth folks reading and commenting here on a regular basis. There’s a whole lot more to this bayou blog than fig preserves : ) Thanks again! BW
Is that 3 or 5 cups of whole figs before mashing? Thanks for all the info on your site.
Susan, one recipe is 3cups of mashed figs. I’m not sure how many cups of whole figs that would be. The mashing first just makes this so easy to cook. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have good luck with your preserves! BW
Thanks for your quick reply. My figs are coming in faster than I can give them away or put them up. Alternating putting up grape leaf pickles and figs!
Can you use less sugar in this?????
Yes you can but they might take longer to cook to the setting point OR they just might end up a little runny! It’s the sugar and jello that make them gel up. But try it and see. It’s only 3 cups of figs you might waste! BW
Great website. Love these preserves because stawberries are so expensive and my husband loves these just as well.
Wonderful, Wanda! Then everybody is happy! BW
I’ve been drowning in figs this week, so I’ve made several batches of this jam, using both strawberry and raspberry Jello. I tried to find the Blackberry Fusion, but the grocery stores out here in the boondocks don’t carry it. We like both of them, but we really like the raspberry! It doesn’t seem as sweet as the strawberry. I may be making more of this week, because the figs just keep on comin’. Thanks so much for an easy recipe!
I didn’t blog about it, but the peach is good, too!!! Peach Jello!! Thanks for letting us know how much you like it. I love the raspberry, too! Had it just this morning on my biscuits!
I love this recipe.The taste is so good . Everyone that taste it love it
Wonderful, Judy! Thanks for letting us know! Glad y’all like it! BW
I found your site when I googled for Strawberry Jello Fig Preserves. I liked a recipe in my Paula Deen cookbook and needed to verify if it was accurate. (sorry, Miss Paula, there could have been a typo!) I pulsed my figs in the blender (instead of mashing), used the 3 cups sugar and the Jello. Her recipe said to cook 4 minutes at a rolling boil, while stirring. I tried this and they turned out great.
Wonderful! I never thought to experiment with anything else since this is how I learned and it’s always worked well for me! Thanks for sharing this alternative cooking time, Linda! BW
So glad I found your page!!! My neighbor brought me a bucket full of figs last week and I really wanted to put up some strawberry fig preserves. I froze the figs when my neighbor brought them over because I was headed out of town for a week the next day and knew I couldn’t get them put up. I went ahead and mashed them and added a little sugar and cooked them for about ten minutes, then put them in the freezer in gallon bags. Got my jars and sugar and Jello today and can’t wait to try your recipe tomorrow. Thanks for the great pictures and clear instructions!!! This will be my first time doing preserves!! I will let you know how it turns out. Thanks again!!
Hi Teresa, and welcome to this bayou. I’m glad you found us, too! If you would be so kind, after you’ve made your mock strawberry preserves with frozen figs, would you please come back and let us know how that worked for you? And how did you know to cook the figs a little before you froze them? I have discouraged folks from freezing whole, raw figs, as they get so mushy due to the high water content. When you cook them, you release that water, and stop the ripening enzymes, of course. So, I’ll be waiting to hear how it goes!!! Thanks! BW
Woo-hoo!!! First batch is in the jars and happily boiling away! I’m so excited to taste these tomorrow. Guess I’ll have to make some biscuits in the morning. My neighbor who gave me the figs actually suggested mashing and cooking them a little before freezing, kind of like blanching peas I guess. So far so good. I’ll let you know how they set up tomorrow. Gotta run get some more Jello for the second batch. (didn’t pick up enough yesterday) Thinking about trying peach for second batch. Thanks again for posting such clear instructions. Neighbor just said boil figs sugar and jello and put into jars. (Nothing about sterilizing jars first or putting back in boiling water after) Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Best instructions I’ve found!!!
Great! Looking forward to hearing about the consistency and taste using blanched/frozen figs! Always looking for new ways to use these babies up!
I made these last night, had to cook a little longer than 20-25 minutes, doubled the batch, the preserves are WONDERFUL!!! Just had my first taste and it tastes just like strawberry jam!!! I will be making these again and again, or at least as long as I am getting figs off of my trees! Thanks for the great, easy recipe and great instructions!
Woo hoo! Another satisfied customer! Seriously, though, Denise, I’m glad you like the recipe enough to come back and share that with us! Happy preserving! BW
Hi,
I’m so happy to have found this site! My dear mother-in-law used to make these delicious preserves but she has gone on now. She always made enough to supply everyone. I kept telling her I needed to get the recipe but she just never got around to giving it to me. She was and still is a very precious part of my heart. I loved her dearly!
I’m going to make a batch of the strawberry fig preserves and I’m going to try the raspberry fig preserves(hubby loves raspberry). I will let you know how they turn out. Thank you again for sharing the recipe!
Hugs, Paula
Hi Paula, and welcome to the bayou. Thank you for following the blog! I’m so glad that your having found this recipe will help you not only carry on her tradition of homemade goodness, but also her memory! That is something I love about canning and preserving–carrying on family traditions, keeping them alive, and sharing the labor of love and the work of our hands and hearts! Blessings, Paula! I hope everyone loves it and that you do, too! BW
[...] http://bayouwoman.com/2011/07/07/fig-preserves-ala-strawberry-and-raspberry-jell-o/#comment-13252 [...]
Hello from the Space Coast! I came across this recipe while searching for something to do with some mediocre figs that I bought on sale at the grocery store. Two of my five daughters helped me get a batch cooked and my two boys cleaned the pot and spoon! This is an amazing recipe! Thank you so much! Cheree
Fantastic, Cheree! So glad you found it and that you and kids enjoyed it!!! Sounds like family fun!!! BW
Thanks, Alice!