Slow-Roasted Fig Preserves with Lemon
Number of Servings
Makes about 4 half-pint jars
Ingredients
  • 1 small lemon, quartered and thinly sliced, seeds removed
  • 3 pounds ripe figs, stemmed and rinsed, left whole if small, halved if larger
  • [q:1 1/2] cups sugar
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
  2. Scatter the lemon slices over the bottom of a large roasting pan, then spread the figs in the pan. Sprinkle with the sugar and pour in 1 cup water.
  3. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and roast for 2 hours, then uncover the pan, increase the oven temperature to 400°F, and roast for about [q:1 1/2] hours more, until the figs are dark, the lemon slices are translucent, and the juices are bubbling and have reduced to a dark, somewhat thick syrup.
  4. Prepare for water-bath canning: Sterilize the jars and keep them hot in the canning pot, and put the flat lids in a heatproof bowl.
  5. Ladle boiling water from the canning pot into the bowl with the lids. Using a jar lifter, remove the sterilized jars from the canning pot, carefully pouring the water from each one back into the pot, and place them upright on a folded towel. Drain the water off the jar lids.
  6. Spoon the hot figs and lemon slices into the jars, leaving [q:1/4] inch headspace at the top, and pour the syrup from the roasting pan over them, leaving [q:1/4] inch headspace. Use a chopstick to remove air bubbles around the inside of each jar. Use a damp paper towel to wipe the rims of the jars, then put a flat lid and ring on each jar, adjusting the ring so that it’s just finger-tight. Return the jars to the water in the canning pot, making sure the water covers the jars by at least 1 inch.
  7. Bring to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes to process. Remove the jars to a folded towel and do not disturb for 12 hours. After 1 hour, check that the lids have sealed by pressing down on the center of each; if it can be pushed down, it hasn’t sealed, and the jar should be refrigerated immediately. Label the sealed jars and store.
Nutrition Info
68 Calories, 0 g Protein, 0 mg Cholesterol, 18 g Carbohydrates, 16 g Total sugars (9 g Added sugars), 1 g Fiber, 0 g Total fat (0 g sat), 1 mg Sodium, [nut:1] Vitamin B6