Vanilla Fig Preserves - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups sugar
1 vanilla pod, split
1 largelemon, juice and zest , meat diced
2 lbs fresh figs, quartered
1/4 cup limoncello or 1/4 cup Grand Marnier

Preparation

In a large pot place sugar, vanilla pod and the seeds into the figs, lemon juice, zest and meat of lemon. Do squeeze any juice from the peels into the sugar and figs.
Stir to release juices it will be thick. Simmer over low heat stirring not to burn. Juices will come and when it does raise heat to high stirring most of the time.
When it hits a rolling boil for 15 minutes all the time stirring add liquor cook 1 minute.
Pour into sterile jars and process 10 minutes.
Optional for those that like it smoother without chunks you can blend thee figs before adding to sugar or use an immersion blender while cooking.