FIG PRESERVES

Gather fruit when fully ripe, but not cracked open ; place in a perforated tin bucket or wire basket, and dip for a moment into a deep kettle of hot and moderately strong lye, (some prefer letting them lie an hour in lime water and after- wards drain); make the syrup in proportion of one pound of sugar to one of fruit, and when the figs are well drained, put them in syrup and boil until well cooked; remove, boil syrup down until there is just enough to cover fruit, put fruit back in syrup, let all boil, and seal up, while hot, in glass or porce- lain jars.