Keeping the figs whole is traditionally done by soaking them in slaked lime water, where the calcium firms up the cell walls of the fruit. If you cannot find lime, skip that step and boil them for less time; the figs will be a little softer but still whole.
Ingredients
For the figs
For the syrup
For jarring
Method
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Prepare the figs
Cut off the stalks and prick each fig a few times with a fork.
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Soak in lime water
Dissolve the slaked lime in water and soak the figs for 2 hours. Then rinse them 3 times in plenty of water.
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Blanch them
Boil for 10 minutes in clean water and drain.
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Make the syrup
Boil the sugar and water together into a syrup.
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Cook
Put the figs into the syrup, add the cloves and cook over a low heat for 35 minutes.
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Rest them
Take the pan off the heat and leave the figs in the syrup for 8 hours.
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Final boil
Bring back to the boil, add the lemon juice and boil for 5 minutes.
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Fill the jars
Fill the jars while hot, turn them upside down and leave to cool.
Tips
- Do not use ripe figs; you need hard green ones, as ripe figs fall apart.
- Rinse the figs thoroughly after the lime water, so that no taste of lime remains.
- The step of resting them in the syrup is what lets the figs take it up, so do not skip it.
Nutrition
Values are per serving and approximate.