Not sure if you wanting to can them, but it could be unsafe to do so. I would refrigerate between boilings, but because figs are quite tender they may just turn to mush. Thats a LOT of sugar for a sweet fig! I grow the brown turkey type and its just loaded with green figs of many sizes. I just hope they start to ripen soon. I usually dry mine and that may be why your boiling yours, if they are very dry to begin with.

Thanks for the advice. I'll refrigerate between boilings. I am going to can them. I expect the excessive sugar has something to do with the safety. The figs themselves are plenty sweet. I'm drying some. I've made jam. Given them away. Sold as many as the local store will take. I have fig heaven right now: big trees with lots of ripe fruit. And I don't want them to go to waste.

The recipe called for boiling water to be poured over the figs and for the figs sit in it for 5 minutes, then drain it away. Then you boil them in the syrup. And bring it to a boil for three more days before canning. I'm thinking the initial boiling water is to blanch the figs. They don't need softening up.

If you (or anyone else) has a good fig pickle recipe, I'd love to see it. Or if you have a good fig jam recipe, I'd be interested in that too.

This one is my handful of "To Die For" recipes. LOL
Very, very good.

Fig preserves  Mes Confitures by Christine Ferber (posted by JessicaÂcooking forum)

INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 lbs (1 kg) fresh black figs (3 lbs)
3 3/4 cups (800 g) granulated white sugar (4 cups)
Juice of 1 lemon (+ a little bottled)
2 vanilla beans (3 beans)

TO DO
1. Rinse figs in cold water and wipe dry with a clean towel.
Remove the stems and quarter the figs.
If they're particularly large, cut them into eighths.
Split the vanilla beans lengthwise

2. Combine the figs, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla beans in a non-reactive bowl.
Cover, ideally with a piece of crumpled, damp parchment paper.
Set aside to macerate for an hour.

3. Pour the contents of the bowl into your preserving pan and bring them to a simmer.
Return them to the bowl and cover again.
Put this into the refrigerator for at least eight hours, or overnight.

4. Prepare your jars for canning.

5. Again return the fruit mixture to the pan.
Bring it to a full boil. Skim off the foam if you care about that sort of thing.
Continue cooking until the mixture comes up to 221° F (105° C) -- about 5 to 10 minutes.
Remove the vanilla beans near the end of the process.
Stir gently as it cooks.

6. Pour the jam into jars and boil water bath.

Deanna

With mine, the ones from this year and two years ago that were dried and refrigerated, I plan tro make a big batch of fig squares, one of my favorites. Have to stretch out eating them due to the very high potassium level. My fig is in a huge 2x2 foot pot that drinks 2 gallons of water per day. Without water, would dry out and die within a week. I also add a bit of potassium to the soil to help it along. This fall when the leaves drop, I plan to put it in the garden in soil. The hole will have to be very big and very deep. Its pot alone weighs about 85 pounds right now, and I can't lifte it by muself so teh next door neighbor helps. It formed several figs early this spring while still in my garage, but they all fell off once it went outside for the summer.

Deanna, am I right in supposing you could leave the vanilla beans out?

Does anyone have a recipe for fig bread? I'm hoping my figs get ripe before frost....they seem to have gotten a late start.

jude

Deanna, Thanks for the recipe. I'm going to try it when I finish with these pickles.

Mr. Rogers, Would you like some more figs? Sounds like you have to save them up to have enough to make the fig squares. I could mail you some dried figs or some of the fig jam I've already made. Or I could send you some made with Deanna's recipe after I make it. Send me an e-mail with your mailing address; my e-mail is bdaleva at aol.com.

Actually, two years ago, was the first year for my tree. This year the amount is more than tripled and should give me much more than I need. Thanks for the offer. I even chopped off long limbs this past spring and they are all sprouting side shoots. One fig leaf is giant at least 12 inches across. I water daily and also spray the leaves with a seaweed mix as a foliar spray every week.