Old Fashioned Fig Preserves II

Step 1

Cut the tips off the figs. Soak the figs in an ice chest of cold water with baking soda about an hour. This will clear the figs of their sticky fig milk. Drain.

Step 2

Mix the water and 6 cups sugar to make syrup. Cook over medium to high heat. When the mixture starts to boil, add 3 quarts of figs and let it come to a rolling boil; let the mixture boil hard for a few minutes. Reduce to a very low heat and cook for 2 hours stirring often to prevent sticking. More often than not depending on the quantity and the amount of figs in your pot...it may take up to 4 or 5 hours for the figs "to turn".

Step 3

Pour the fig mixture into prepared canning jars. The product will be perfect every time and the figs will be plump - not hard and shriveled.