Figs Galore

When Charles Dickens wrote, "Train up a fig tree in the way it should go, and when you are old sit under the shade of it," he neglected to mention having to deal with the fruit in the meantime. Don't get me wrong; I'm not complaining about how prolific my lovely (not so) little tree is, only about its timing. Figs are delicate morsels that must be eaten or cooked within a day or two of picking or they begin to shrivel (which means, I suppose, that it's time to get out the dehydrator). So last night, after I put the guest bath and kitchen island cabinets back together and everything back in the drawers, etc. I decided I'd better cook some figs.

Of course, finding my jar stash to be nearly nil, I had to make a quick run to Wally World for supplies.  At the time, the quart jars looked like the way to go - plenty of room for all those figs. After filling some of them, however, I see that pint jars are probably a better choice for portion control during later use. (Live and learn!) I also discovered that the largest pot I own accommodates only four pounds of figs with their accompanying liquid/syrup. This severely restricted the process since I had to make something, wash the pot, and start over each time. (I feel a VERY large pot coming home in the near future.) I wanted to use eight pounds of fruit to make the pickled figs, but ended up with only the four that would fit. Since they take awhile to make, it becomes problematic to produce small batches. Though, the smell was heavenly and the small amount of syrup left over at the end, delicious! It reminded me of cinnamon crab apples I've eaten somewhere down the line. Even today, I'm staring at the beautiful jars thinking I should just open one and dig in, but I'm trying to practice restraint until fall when all the fresh fruit is gone.

Once the pickled figs were in the jars, I decided fig chutney (one of my personal favorites) should be next on the menu. Another four pounds of quartered figs went into the pot along with other yummy ingredients like chopped onions, cinnamon, all spice, and ginger. This too has to simmer for quite a long time, so I contemplated what to do with the remaining four pounds but decided to quit for the night by the time the chutney finished bubbling. So, here's the tally for the week: four pounds of figs into jam, four pounds of figs pickled, four pounds of figs into chutney, four pounds of figs still in the fridge, and four pounds of figs eaten fresh and given to a neighbor. Judging from the size and color of the fruit remaining on the tree, I have about a week's reprieve before the next harvest begins. (I'm actually hoping for two weeks, but that's selfish.)

Anyone want to trade some pickled okra or canned salsa for figs? I think I'll have plenty.

Start here - with fresh, ripe figs

Fig jam

Pickled figs

Fig chutney