Another way to preserve figs is to cook them with strawberry jello. The fig does such a good job at disguising itself in this jam that most people think they are eating strawberries. Spreading it on a piece of toast is the most common way of enjoying it, but it’s fun to discover others.
When my husband and I attended mortuary school in 1979 in Houston, TX we discovered a certain brand of ice cream made in a little creamery in Brenham. Steve grew up eating homemade ice cream so it was easy for him to become attached that homemade vanilla flavor. I grew up eating strawberry fig jam on my toast and had taken some to school with me. One day he decided to warm up the preserves in the microwave and spoon some on the ice cream. It was love at first bite! In those days the only place we could buy that frozen delicacy was in the Houston area and the only place we could get those preserves was from my Mama’s kitchen. Now Blue Bell can be found in most grocery stores across the south and if you can get your hands on some figs and follow this recipe you can have your own delicious topping to go with it.
Strawberry Fig Jam
7 cups of fresh figs, peeled
6 cups of sugar
4 small boxes of strawberry jello
1/2 cup water
pinch of salt
Dissolve jello in water. Stir to combine all ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir occasionally. See Fig Preserve post to see how to tell when jam is cooked and how to pack in jars.
If I don’t have words, it’s a sign I’m not reading enough. Ann Voskamp
Enjoying your 5 days of figs series. I didn’t know the trick to tell when they have cooked enough for preserves. The cake looks yummy! Thanks for sharing your stories and recipes in this blog. Looking forward to many more!