Fig Bounty!

There is a standing joke in the Atkinson family about one's fig bounty. Several years ago we planted fig bushes on Mother's Day in two different places...one in our yard and one in Stephen's mother's yard in Clayton, located about 1 1/2 hours east of us. While our bush was a Mission Fig variety and hers was a Brown Turkey Fig, we thought that since they were planted at the same time that we could expect a similar yield. We couldn't have been more wrong!

While our bush flourished and grew so tall that it had to be pruned, Stephen's mom's bush was beaten to death by the yard crew's weed eaters and looked so pitiful during subsequent visits to her house that we were sure that it would die. But alas.....Soon there were reports of small figs growing and her pathetic bush was soon covered with figs ready to pick. Our bush, on the other hand, sported a few figs that either birds or insects devoured or dropped to the ground. Needless to say, Stephen was not happy and his mom bragged about having to hire workers to come in and help pick her crop.

This past weekend when Peggy came to visit, she brought a small bag of ripe figs to us from her bush. During the "yard tour" outside our house, we viewed Stephen's magnificent fig bush....completely devoid of figs. Mission Figs must simply not like the eastern North Carolina climate.

Tonight when Stephen comes in from work, he will be stunned and most likely disgusted at his "lack of yield," compared to other fig growers in the area. My friend, Melissa, caught me before I left work to share the news that her friends, Mary and Panny, had figs and figs and figs. Since Melissa knows how much we love them, she arranged for me to go by Mary and Panny's house on the way home. I was stunned when they gave me a huge bag filled with ripe figs...weighing 5 1/2 pounds on the scale when I returned home. Panny told me that he has picked between four and five BUSHELS of figs from this one bush. As you can see by the pictures, they are beautiful and after sampling a few (yes, I couldn't resist), they couldn't be sweeter. I've read through many recipes and the fig preserves below sound most appealing. The suggestion about adding thin lemon slices really intrigued me. Now the decision before me is to consider whether or not to head out in search of small canning jars!

FRESH FIG PRESERVES

There is probably no better known use for figs (as with most fruit) than as preserves. Debates between cooks continue on whether "real" fig preserves contain some citrus (we like it) and whether one should peel the figs (don't expect me to do it).

Here's the classic guide. Ratio: one cup sugar to one cup chopped fresh figs (it works the same for one pound of sugar to one pound of fresh figs; one palmful of sugar to one handful of figs -- you get the picture...) Grated lemon zest or finely sliced bits of lemon (the paper thin slices make the preserves delightfully like a marmalade - leave them out if this does not please you)

Basic Directions: Cut up the figs as fine as you like. Mix the figs with the sugar and let rest in a covered plastic or glass container overnight. The next morning, cook the mixture down over very low heat until it is soft and thick. Spoon into hot canning jars and cover with lids you've had soaking in boiling (hot) water. The lids will seal as the jam cools. Refrigerate any jars that do not compress and seal.

That's basically it and the recipe has been winning blue ribbons for generations. Everything else is the individual cook's imagination. We like it less sweet and cut back on the sugar. We have had this with a lot of citrus grated and sliced into it; with raisins cooked into it; with cinnamon and other spices. Be careful - the taste of the figs is rich but light and can be quickly overpowered. We recommend trying a straight batch first and then getting adventurous.

Gourmet Variation: A delicious addition to a fig preserve recipe is a drop or two (per jar) of real maple syrup to enhance the natural flavor of the figs. The maple adds just the right touch to the natural flavor of the figs, but only add just a drop or two per jar -- not enough to even be able to identify it as maple. --MZ

Our thanks to Viola Dickerson and Joyce Bradshaw Maria Zee and fig lover V.R. for sharing their winning fig preserve tips with us!

-Recipe adapted from the Fresh Fig Preserve recipe at:

http://www.paradisenursery.com/frfigpr.html