Sunday preserving of figs and limes

Yesterday I got a sudden craving for figs....fig jam was one of my father's favourites. I think he must have got a taste for them when he went up Italy during World War II. I just wish he was still around so that I could get to the bottom of this.

I've never made fig jam before, and am nearly at the bottom of the jar bought in Leamington a few weeks ago. I got to the fruit shop just as it was closing, and bought back 10 fruits.



I found a recipe for fresh fruit jam on the Waitrose site, but adapted it by adding a little chopped apple. I had thought it would have cooked into the sauce of the figs, but it kept its shape. As I use it for a topping for yogurt etc., and this batch will be just for me.....I do not think it is a nice variation.



As I used the purple figs the jam is a wonderful rich red colour. I used the juice and finely grated peel of a lemon. The fresh fig flavour comes through perfectly.

The jam my father liked was green, so should I come across green figs I shall make a 100% fig conserve.

At Tesco's they had a special offer on organic limes, and as I had been thinking of trying my hand at Lime Marmalade I got a couple of bags.

As they need so very long initial cooking, I decided to use the pressure cooker to cook the peel. After cooling, and all the peel was cut up and the pulp sieved, I use the preserving pan to boil the marmalade. I thought it going to be a nice bright green colour...it is a little subdued, but I can't use that term to describe this zingy marmalade. 1.5 lbs limes gave 5 235g net and 2 350g net jars.