Chef Andy:
I'm looking for a recipe for strawberry jam made with jello and figs. A very old friend of mine used to make it with sugar-free jello and fresh figs. Unfortunately he passed on before I could coax the recipe from him. Can dried figs be substituted? Thanks for any help. My family had this once and loved it.

No problem! Hit with a sudden need to make strawberry jam, but you don't have any strawberries around? No problem! Just whip out those figs, add four packages of strawberry Jell-O, and presto! Fake strawberry jam!

Chef Andy's source for this particular weird recipe was Talk About Good!, a fundraising cookbook for the Junior League of Lafayette, Lousiana. These disarmingly honest little local cookbooks are his favorite source of folk recipes. This recipe is credited to Winnie Duhe and Barbara Ory McCarroll. Thanks, ladies!

Chef Andy presents...

Strawberry-Fig Jam 
7 cups peeled figs
6 cups sugar
4 (3 oz.) packages strawberry Jell-O
1/2 cup boiling water
pinch of salt.

Dissolve Jell-O in water.  Combine all ingredients in saucepan.
Cook over low heat for 45 minutes to one hour.  Stir occasionally.
Pack in jars.  Will keep for months.

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