Two Fig Preserves

More than any other fruit I can think of, figs hold in their sweetness the dry, sunny heat of the lands where they’re grown. And where the trees haven’t been over irrigated or where the heat isn’t merely mild, the flesh of a ripe fig, shot through with myriad tiny seeds, is dense and intensely sweet, already like jam. If you have the opportunity, open a truly ripe fig and spread it over a slab of bread and cream cheese as if it were jam. Figs are fresh and available only two brief times of the year, however, so a jar of preserves helps to brighten a cheerless month when the sun doesn’t shine.