Fig & Ginger Preserve
The idea with this preserve is to poach the fig pieces so they stay plump, and consequently swim in the ginger syrup. Ideally, use perfectly ripe figs without any bruising.
Ingredients
- 800 g ripe figs
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 80 g crystallised ginger, roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ cup boiling water
Instructions
- Trim the figs and cut into bite-sized wedges. Layer into a dish with a sprinkling of sugar and chopped ginger after each addition. Melt the honey and ground ginger together in a small saucepan, then drizzle this over the figs.
- Cover the dish and place in the fridge overnight. The fig pieces will soften with the sugar and honey to produce a thick syrup in the bottom of the dish.
- Wash and sterilise two 500g jars. To do this, boil jars and lids for 10 minutes in a pot of water. Carefully remove with tongs and air dry on a cake rack.
- While the jars are sterilising, pour the syrup from the figs into a saucepan. Add the extra water and bring to a boil. Carefully add the figs and ginger. Bring back to a gentle boil for three minutes to soften and poach the fig pieces. Remove from the heat and immediately ladle the hot figs and syrup into the hot jars – I used a chopstick to nudge the fig pieces into the gaps.
- Secure the lids firmly and set aside to cool on a wooden board. Once cold, check the lids have inverted, creating a vacuum seal. Store in a cool dark place and use within six months. Once open, keep in the fridge and consume within one month.