Just the way my Grandmother made it...

...if only she was still here to share all her tips. It seems the art of preserving has skipped a generation in our family and so despite 30 years of professional cooking experience and a plethora of 'original' recipes I am but a beginner. I know only too well that its what's not written into a recipe that is so valuable! Its taken 4 years to repeat the wonderful fig jam I made in 2006, the 2007 version was too runny and went mouldy, the 2008 version overcooked and became toffee, 2009 I chickened out and made fig paste which has been wonderful with soft cheese and 2010 took two attempts - the first one I burnt (it seems as bad in print as it felt! and my pot scrubber will attest to the nightmare of cleaning the pot - although burnt fig jam isn't something unique to me, another tip my grandmother could have shared if she wasn't in the 'big vegie patch'). Despite all this a second batch was a success and I can now add fig jam to my growing list of preserves that I consider I have mastered. Help save your culinary past, cook with the wise!