Strawberry Fig Preserves

[Kat]

I've been waiting for several years for my fig tree to produce enough figs to make this. This is the year! This is a great way to use them even if you don't like figs because it tastes just like strawberry jam. Great for picky eaters!

Strawberry Fig Preserves
3 cups mashed ripe figs
3 cups sugar (I substituted 1 cup of honey and 2 cups of sugar)
2 3oz. packages strawberry Jello

Mix all ingredients together in a saucepan and cook 4 minutes at a rolling boil. Pour into hot sterilized jars, seal.

The recipe says it makes 8 half pint jars but I ended up with 5 1/2 half pint jars. I put them in the refrigerator but I'm pretty sure they would freeze well too. I couldn't find any information on canning this recipe. If anyone knows, please post it as I would rather have canned them for longer storage. Also, feel free to post your recipe or variation also. Has anyone ever tried canning them whole and how did they turn out? I'd like to dehydrate some of the figs also and if anyone has any tips on that I would appreciate it. Thanks!

[georgiamom]

It sounds like you did can them. I used the same recipe and process a year or so ago, and the jars have maintained a good seal and are as fresh as the day I put them in the jar. As long as your lids popped, you should be able to keep these preserves on the shelf for a long time. It is amazing how good this recipe is, given the simplicity. Do you have any suggestions on the planting of a fig tree? I had a co-worker bring me the figs last year, but she has promised me a plant this year. How many years did it take to get your fig tree to the producing stage? I appreciate any help.

[Kat]

I usually process my jams in a water bath canner but I didn't have the processing times for this recipe. They did pop down after a while but I could pry the lids off with my fingers. I can't do that with the water bath canned ones. I have to use a can opener to pop them open. Have you ever tried using a different flavor of Jello? I was curious to see how that would come out. I might try that on the next batch.
As for the fig tree itself, I have had it for about 5 years or so. It's a Brown Turkey fig. I also had a Celeste fig planted but it didn't make it. I actually prefer the taste of the Brown Turkey anyway. It was about 2 or 3 feet high when I got it. The first couple of years it died back to the ground every winter. It doesn't die back anymore and I rarely ever fertilize it. The first year that it got fruit, they never ripened before the first frost. The second year that it got fruit I would pick about 1 fig a day and that was it. This year, for example, I didn't pick yesterday and went out a little while ago and picked about 35 of them! My mom used Milorganite on hers and her plants grew big really fast. They seem to grow really well in the South.