Fig Preserves
["4 qt. fresh figs with stems", "1 Tbsp. soda", "3 qt. boiling water", "8 c. sugar", "1 qt. water", "1 lemon, thinly sliced"]
["Place figs in a large bowl; sprinkle with soda.", "Add boiling (3 quarts) water and soak for 1 hour.", "Drain figs, rinse in cold water.", "Combine sugar and 1 quart water in large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil and cook 10 minutes.", "Add figs and lemon to syrup. Cook until figs are clear and tender (about 1 hour), stirring occasionally.", "Spoon figs into hot sterilized jars.", "If necessary, keep cooking until thick.", "Pour syrup over figs, leaving 1/4-inch headspace.", "Run knife around edge of jars to remove air bubble. Cover at once with metal lids and screw bands tight.", "Process in boiling water for 10 minutes.", "Yields 4 or 5 pints."]
["fresh figs with stems", "soda", "boiling water", "sugar", "water", "lemon"]