Author Margaret Maron's Fig Preserves
[Robyn Lee]
North Carolina-based mystery author Margaret Maron just published her twenty-fifth title, Sand Sharks. Maron, like her protagonist Judge Deborah Knott, grew up working on a farm and did her fair share of fruit-picking and jam-making. Even though she's got another deadline fast approaching for her 2010 book, Maron is sneaking away from her keyboard this month to pick figs from her three backyard bushes. Of all the jars in her pantry, her aunt's fig preserves are always the quickest to disappear, so she graciously shared the recipe with us.
Margaret Maron's Auntie's Fig Preserves
Ingredients
- makes 10 pints -
From Margaret Maron.
Note: Feel free to divide this recipe in half if you don't have bounties of figs from a lovely backyard bush.
8 pounds figs
5 pounds sugar
1 diced whole lemon
1 to 2 tablespoons pickling spice
1. In a large pot, layer 8 pounds of figs and 5 pounds of sugar and 1 diced whole lemon (minus the seeds and white internal membranes.) Refrigerate overnight.
2. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons pickling spice.
3. Boil until thick and translucent, then seal in clean hot jars.
4. If your jars, rings, and lids are all good and hot (I keep mine in a roasting pan in the oven at 225°F until ready to fill), the jars will seal without a pressure canner or water bath.
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4 Comments:
Figs figs figs I wrote up a fig jam recipe, but this one doesn't include canning instructions: http://cantaloupealone.blogspot.com/2009/08/dads-fig-tree.html
Cantaloupe Alone at 2:08PM on 08/26/09
I also live in NC and got some fresh figs at a farmer's market last weekend. Made about 8 pints of preserves using fruit, sugar, and a little lemon juice. Came out wonderfully, been eating on homemade wheat bread. I am a little confused by the addition of pickling spice though - has anyone done this before?
NCGourmet at 3:28PM on 08/26/09
For NC Gourment: I passed your question to Margaret Maron, who says the pickling spice gives it "oomph" -- otherwise it's just another fruit jam of no particular distinction.
vickyb at 9:58AM on 08/27/09
I absolutely LOVE Margaret Maron's Deborah Knott Series... I wish I could find some of her earlier novels, with the main character based in NYC. But to those of you who have not had the pleasure of meeting Judge Deborah Knott, I encourage you to do so.
Also, various family members' fig bushes make appearances in many of the books, which makes me smile at this recipe. Figs are obviously close to Ms. Maron's heart!
Jadydangel at 12:17PM on 10/19/09