Rinse figs thoroughly under running water. Drain.
Bring remaining ingredients to a boil, stirring to melt the sugar. Reduce to a brisk simmer and cook the syrup for 10 minutes.
Gently add the figs to the syrup, reduce to a slow simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Gently does it. Do not boil vigorously or the fruit will break up - we want to keep it whole.
Remove pan from heat, weight the fruit with a plate to keep them submerged, cover the pot, and allow figs to steep in syrup overnight.
Next day, remove the plate and bring the syrup and fruit very gently back up to a slow simmer. Cook for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and gently remove the fruit from the syrup and transfer to sterilised jars.
Bring the remaining syrup back up to a boil, then cook for 5-10 minutes to reduce slightly.
Top up all jars with the reduced syrup, adding some of the spices if desired, and seal.
Store in the fridge.
