Preserving the Past {Fig Preserves with Lemon}

Mary Antoinette Kaupert Mueller was my maternal grandmother. One of seven children, she was born and raised in San Antonio, TX in a German-American family that embraced the full culture of the city. Unusual for the time, she attended a Jewish private kindergarten. Her family cared for and helped support a woman known as Aunt Peggy.  Aunt Peggy was a former slave who told of learning of her freedom in downtown San Antonio in Alamo Plaza. A free-woman when she met the Kaupert family, Aunt Peggy lived on the Kaupert's property and looked after the children in return for help from my great-grandparents. It was Aunt Peggy who would take my grandmother and her siblings to the annual Juneteenth celebrations in San Pedro Park. (My grandmother would recount how they were the only Anglos in attendance.) And, my grandmother was raised on good ol' Tex-Mex cuisine. She was quite an aficionado and frequently referred to it as her "soul food."

My grandmother was quite the social butterfly. The story goes that her mother, Ruth, was famous for saying "The only people that Mary hasn't dated is Santie Claus and the Easter Bunny, but that's because there ain't no Santie Claus or Easter Bunny." She loved to get dressed to the nines ( I have quite a few of her vintage items in my closet including a floor length velvet cape and a number of pairs of opera-length gloves) and go out on the town. When she met my grandfather, Theodore, she met her soul mate who would take her to the rooftop gardens of the St Anthony Hotel to dance into the wee hours of the morning. 

Even though she loved the glitz and glamour, she was also a very grounded wife and mother who was well-versed in the arts of homemaking. A skilled seamstress like her mother before her, she made all of my mother's formal dresses of which there were many. She and my grandfather were well-known for their cocktail parties. While she loved to entertain, she also didn't stray far from her humble roots when it came to preserving and canning food for future use. As she grew older, she thoroughly embraced the modern convenience of canned foods available in the supermarket.  However, there were a few things that she did "put up" each year - notably, pickled okra & fig preserves. These two items continue to be my favorites to this day and I continually try them from various vendors trying to see if they are as good as Grandma's. Some get quite close, but they are never quite as good.. 

As I've mentioned before, I inherited my Grandmother's recipes (both hand-written & clippings of her favorite things) the trouble is her recipes for preserves and pickles are mere reminders of ratios with no full instructions. I'm sure from her point of view, why would she need to write down directions? She *knew* how to can things. She just needed reminders to help make the brine or syrup the same each time.  This summer, when I had the chance to grab a bunch of figs at a really great price, I decided it is time to recreate those luscious fig preserves of Grandma's. Here's what I did:

Grandma Mary's Fig Preserves with Lemon

• About 3 lbs of whole figs, coarsely chopped (will result in about 6 cups of fruit)
• 4 Cups white sugar
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 1 lemon sliced thinly
• 1 (3 oz) packet of liquid pectin

1. Prepare a boiling water bath and prepare your jars (See how to can/process here.) (The recipe will make enough to fill 3 pint jars, but you can do smaller jars for gift giving if you choose.) 
2. Combine fruit and sugar in a large pot. Stir well so that the figs are covered with the sugar (the sugar will act as a desiccant and pull the juices out of the fruit.) Once the mixture starts to look juicy, bring the contents to an active simmer over high heat.
3. Cook mixture for about 20 minutes or so, stirring regularly until you can see that the figs have started to break down and lose their structure. The liquid should start to look syrupy as well.
4. Add lemon juice & pectin to the mixture and return to an active boil for about 5 minutes.
5. Add a lemon slice or 2 to each jar. Then, remove pot from the stove and ladle the preserves into the prepared jars. Wipe the rims well to ensure a good seal. Place the lid and ring on the jar. Finger tighten and then process in a water bath for 10 minutes.
6. If you're not confident in the water bath canning part, you can prepare this as noted in steps 2-4; put lids on and store directly in the fridge. Contents will not be shelf stable. Use within 6 months.

I'm going to tell you right now. These fig preserves are so incredibly versatile. They are a match made in heaven for a long list of cheeses. They go well with pork dishes or duck. And, as they were for breakfast this morning, perfection on an English muffin. By taking the time to make these canned gems, I'm preserving more than just the fruit. I'm preserving some family history - a little piece of the past. 

Happy Cooking!

sld

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