jude, fruit preserves are pretty safe, the fruit is acidic and the sugar acts as a preservative. The reason for lemon juice in most preserve recipes is for the acidity to allow commercial pectin to work or for the pectin naturally found in the lemon. Now, that said, figs and tomatoes have both been found to contain borderline levels of acidity, MSU says figs are "slightly above" 4.6, so you want to ensure that you use enough lemon to reduce the acidity to a safe level. Recommended is 2 tablespoons per quart of figs. Bottled lemon juice is preferred because it has a consistent acidity whereas fresh lemons vary Since you have about 3 quarts of figs, ypu'd have about 1 lemon per quart. That's about 2-3 tablespoons of juice plus the peel. If you have nice big juicy lemons it's probably good, but I think I'd add the fresh lemons and a bit extra. Annie

I love mine too, I have the 18 quart and the 6 quart, and I do everything in mine that I do in the oven, even Boston Brown Bread and I've baked brownies in mine when my oven was on the fritz. I roast the bones and vegetables for stock right in the roaster and then add the water and seasonings and let it go, everything done in one pot. I've posted pictures of roast chicken on WFD and the skin was as brown and crispy as I get in the oven. And mine has vents, but you can close them. However, as cynic mentioned, it may be more efficient to do the browning on the stovetop. Not necessary, but perhaps quicker. And, as cynic has suggested before, the small ones make great crockpots, my 6 quart even has a temperature setting for "slow cooking". I use the big one several times per year and I'll roast the prime rib in it tomorrow. The small one gets used at least a couple of times a week, and Elery liked it so much he bought one for his house. Far more efficient than turning on the oven for roasting one small chicken for myself, or baking a small amount of beans all day. I also do huge batches of apple butter and tomato sauce in mine for canning, just leave the lid ajar so that it cooks down, and because they heat up the sides too, you don't have the scorching issue or the spattering that I have on top of the stove. Enjoy it, Alexa, I love mine. Annie

Well, here is what I am doing. I have it in the crockpot now. Everyone's recipes sound good, but I had all of these ingredients on hand. Didn't want to make the trip into town if I didn't have to. I made it simpler by coating the pork with the rub mixture, then placing in the crockpot and adding some of the basting sauce. I made the BBQ sauce, too, and will probably mix some of it with the pork before I freeze it. I'll let you know how it turns out. Barbecued Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Homemade BBQ Sauce Courtesy Emeril Lagasse 1 boneless pork butt, about 4 pounds 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar 2 tablespoons Essence 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon paprika 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon cayenne Wet Mop Basting Sauce, recipe follows Barbecue Sauce, recipe follows Place the pork in a baking dish. In a bowl, combine the sugar, Essence, salt, cumin, paprika, pepper, and cayenne. Rub the seasoning evenly over the pork to coat. Cover with plastic and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Preheat an oven or smoker to 225 degrees F. Bring the pork to room temperature and place in a roasting pan, fat side up. Slow cook in the oven, basting with the Wet Mop Basting Sauce every 45 minutes, until tender and the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. (The cooking should take about 6 to 7 hours.) Remove from the oven and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes. With a knife and fork or two forks, pull the meat apart into small slices or chunks. Toss with the Barbecue Sauce, to taste, and divide among the hamburger buns. Top with coleslaw. Serve with additional Barbecue Sauce on the side. Wet Mop Basting Sauce: 1 cup white vinegar 1 cup apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper 1 tablespoon salt The night before you cook the pork, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk well. Refrigerate and let the flavors blend overnight. Yield: 2 1/4 cups Barbecue Sauce: 1 cup apple cider vinegar 1 cup ketchup 3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar 1 tablespoon yellow mustard 1 tablespoon molasses 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and whisk well to dissolve the sugar. Place in a squeeze bottle and dress the pulled pork sandwiches to taste. Yield: about 2 cups Linda

Hi Everyone...I ususally just 'take in' and enjoy all the wonderful advice you all give here. I just have to add my 2 cents along with a question to you. I also have a Hamilton Beach Crock Pot (6 qt). I bought it at Walmart and paid about $39, for it. It's wonderful and I use it almost every other week. There is just my husband and I now at home, but I usually make enough of whatever for a couple of meals >> Pot Roast/Pork Roast, etc. I love the fact, that when I set it up, and go about my day, when I come home, it's like 'Someone' Cooked Dinner. So for that part, I love it. NOW, my question. I just purchased a 20 qt Cooks Essential Electric Roaster with timer, from QVC. I haven't used it yet...I'm a little nervous. I'm thinking of using it as an extra oven for the Holidays. Not to do my Turkey in..but for other dishes. Can anyone give me some tips or advice, as to you using it this way? Will I be able to use my own casserole dishes to put in there (on the rack) and do I need to add water? Haven't a clue..the receipe book does not give enough details on this. Thanks so much, and once again >>> I love All your great advice to one another.