Divine Figgy Goodness

Once again, I find that Whole Foods is my enabler. Yesterday I discovered Black Mission Figs, on sale(!), and bought 3 8-ounce packages. I still have a little fig jam left but I was thinking about preserves. After my overnight shift, a nap, and some dinner, I found this recipe for preserves, which seemed easiest. It is very easy. I halved the recipe, and I hope I didn't cook them too long, because the preserves are really thick. I did use the kitchen shears at the end to chop up the figs in the preserve as they were too large, in my opinion. But the preserves are so yummy, and thick, and figgy. They taste like candy.

Also at Whole Foods yesterday: Meyer lemons. I bought 6.

While the figs were simmering I made another batch of Dilled Carrots. When my sister-in-law and I went to the farm on Thursday we decided that I should take the whole bowl of carrots this week and make them all into dilled carrots, and then give her half the jars. Works for me! Again, it's such an easy recipe I don't mind. I ran out of the fresh dill so I did use dried dill in one of the jars. I'm not worried, though. It should be fine. I got 4.5 pints out of that batch and will keep just 2 pints.

Merry Christmas!

Wow, I am tired. We had everyone over to our house for an early Christmas dinner. The menu included Cornish game hens stuffed with wild rice stuffing and glazed with the Heavenly Fig Jam from the Complete Book of Home Preserving. The fig went really well with the hens.

For dessert I made a cheesecake and topped it with a pint of preserved blueberries picked in July at the Sugar Shack in the Finger Lakes Region of NY. The berries were preserved in a simple sugar syrup, which I drained off. I didn't want the berries to be too runny. I put the berries on and put the cheesecake back in the fridge for a few minutes to help them thicken up a bit. I don't know if that last step really did anything or not. Thanks to all the family members who helped pick berries - we were picking machines and brought well over 25 pounds of blueberries home that day. It's amazing what a little competition will do!