Fig Conserve, Strawberries and my auctions

 

This photo is of some fig conserve I made yesterday. Its a different recipe from the other one I've posted. 

Fig-Citrus Conserve

5 lbs. fresh figs

Water

10 c. sugar (!!)

2 lemons, coarsely ground

4 oranges, coarsely ground

2 t. ground ginger

Cover figs with a small quantity of water and boil until the liquid is brown. Drain and reserve 2 c. liquid. Mix with sugar to make a heavy syrup.

Combine figs, sugar syrup, lemon and orange pulp. Simmer gently about 1 1/2 hrs. stirring frequently. (I used a stick blender to blend everything together which worked well)

Skim off foam from time to time if needed.

Add ginger, mixing well, pour into hot jars and seal. Makes about 5 pints.

The fig tree is really producing. I've made the sugar free variety twice and now this sugar full recipe.

When I made this, it came out to  7 pints not 5 and we have a small bowl of conserve in the fridge to use too. Its very sweet and I think when I make it again, I'll use less sugar but wanted to try it first before I change it.

I got this recipe from an old cookbook "Freezing and Canning Cookbook, prized recipes from the Farmers of America" published in 1964.

A conserve is a bit  different from jam as it contains a variety of ingredients and often includes nuts.

The strawberry bed is overflowing with plants. Alan is going to make another bed on the other side of the garden identical to this one and we'll transplant some of these plants into it.Yesterday he moved one of the raised beds to make room for it. Taking each log apart and moving them separately. Then he put it back together again.We're getting ready to do a fall/winter garden planting soon. Probably squash, beans, and whatever else we can think of. It stays warm here well into the end of the year. It doesn't get very cold until December or so usually.

I'm still listing books on Ebay..I have 35 listings of some great books..here is the link for it if you'd like to take a look   China Lake Auctions  we're trying to get funds together for our grandson's birthday which is coming up. I can't believe he'll be two!