Drunken Fig Jam - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 lemons
4 lbs ripe fresh figs, stemmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (preferably black)
4 cups sugar
3/4 cup brandy or 3/4 cup cognac
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Preparation

Using vegetable peeler, remove peel from lemons (yellow part only) in long strips.
Cut peel into matchstick-size strips (about 3 tablespoons).
Combine lemon peel, figs, sugar, brandy, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt in heavy large deep saucepan; let stand at room temperature 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Bring fig mixture to boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
Reduce heat to medium; continue to boil until jam thickens and is reduced to 6 cups, stirring frequently and occasionally mashing mixture with potato masher to crush large fig pieces, 30 to 35 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Ladle mixture into 6 hot clean 1/2-pint glass canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch space at top of jars.
Remove any air bubbles.
Wipe jar threads and rims with clean damp cloth.
Cover with hot lids; apply screw bands.
Process jars in pot of boiling water 10 minutes.
Cool jars completely.
Store in cool dark place up to 1 year.