Recipe Sykomelo (Fig Molasses)

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I have a surpluse of figs which I don't really know what to do with. So given that you can have grape molasses, date molasses and pomegranate molasses I started wondering if you could have fig molasses . It isn't very common but it does exist to purchase . So does fig syrup which I guess involves sugar but I've no idea really . I have had to take a guess as how to make fig molasses. I knew it would take pretty much all day and it did . This isn't a recipe to rush. You need plenty of time and patience and it is very easy to be doing other things whilst this is happening in the background. If you add water to this recipe , you'll need to boil it off later on ,so just be patient and use low heat. It's easier in the long run.

Ingredients
2-3kg fresh , over ripe figs

Method

1. With a very sharp knife, cut open the figs and scoop out the innards of the figs. Remove as much flesh from the skin as possible and put into the preserving pan . Set a reasonable amount of time aside for this.
2. In a preserving pan, apply gentle heat stirring often until the figs are well cooked and starting to form a mash. This will take a couple of hours but it is essential that only a low heat is used . You must not burn the bottom of the pan at any stage.
3. Strain the figs in either a nut milk bag or fine muslin cloth over a sieve. Work out as much liquid as you can without too much pulp coming through if using a sieve.
4. Now return to a smallish pan (this depends entirely on how much liquid you obtained from your figs. If they were over ripe then they'll be far more soft and juicy. ) and leave on a very low heat for many hours. Stir every time your around . Mine stayed on heat level 3 (of 9) and as it thickened was lowered to 2 and then 1.
5. Once you have the level of thickness you want (and it doesn't taste watery) turn off the heat and transfer very carefully to sterile jars of bottles. I personally did this the following morning one it was some cold having left it overnight with a lid on it . Very hot/boiling sugar burns badly both on the bottom of the pan (hence very low heat) and on your skin.

I'll add the photo of the end product a bit later on. Mine is much thicker than expected but never mind !
I only removed 1/2-2/3rds of the liquid from the fig pulp once it had softened and released it. I left some with the fig pulp and reduced this to a compote. It had been frozen for later use to be made into jam or a preserve .