My mom informed me just the other day that the figs were 'coming on.' I can't tell you how excited I am for that, which is a change for me - growing up, I would eat fig preserves, but absolutely hated the fruit. A texture thing.
In my more 'mature' (ahem) adult years, I have learned to like figs pretty much any way I can get them. So I am already bookmarking some fig recipes to try this summer.
In the meantime, while we wait, here is a series of pictures (that I took summer of 2012 and never did anything with, that I can remember), along with a super easy way to make fig jam. Give it a try, especially if you have a lot of figs and having a hard time using them up before they spoil - we know how quickly that can happen.
Easy Fig Jam
Wash figs and remove stems; slice figs. Place in a microwave-safe dish and cover with sugar. There is no set amount of sugar, I just take a half cup or so and sprinkle over and if it looks like I need more, I add more. If you don't want that much sugar, add less; if it needs more, add more. Also - my mom makes her jam in a single layer in a casserole dish. Me being a bit impatient with that, I layer the figs in deeper dishes, and pour a bit of the sugar over each layer before adding the next.
Cover the dish with a glass lid or sturdy plastic wrap. Microwave for 5-6 minutes on high; carefully remove from the microwave (don't burn yourself!) and check the 'doneness' of the figs. Return to the microwave and repeat cooking and checking in 3 minute intervals until the figs are soft and the sugar/fig juices have turned to syrup. Remove from microwave, let cool a few minutes to safely hold the dish, and smash to desired consistency with a potato masher - be careful not to splash hot syrup on your skin. Let cool completely and put in freezer bags to freeze or jars to refrigerate.
You MUST make homemade biscuits with these - delish.
