Against my better judgement, we're trying dried figs again.
I've done them before, but they just ended up sitting in a baggie in the pantry for months, getting roach holes eaten into the bag, and then getting fed to the chickens. Nearly a complete failure all around.
This time, they're going into a quart jar in the fridge, and I've been researching recipes that use dried figs so that they won't languish in there.
In theory, anyway. Let's see if I can actually follow through.
The first step in the process is sending out small bored and/or particularly loud children to harvest figs from the tree in the back yard. Said tree is unusually prolific, and produces figs much larger (and less flavorful, unfortunately) than most of the other fig trees in this area.
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| Fig from our tree on the right, one from my grandmother's tree on the left. |
They also stay green and have these big eyes (basically a hole into the interior) on the bottom that leak juice. We pick them when we notice the juice leaking out in a big syrupy droplet on the bottom, hopefully getting to it before the bees and wasps do.
After they're taken inside, they're washed and cut. I've found that slicing dehydrates faster and easier than cutting them into quarters. Quarters are what everyone online says to do, but the darn things are so big, and the quarters I do cut dry so slowly, that I think my way works better.
We don't own a dehydrator, and I'm as of yet too cheap to buy one, so we use the Nuwave countertop oven thing my in-laws gave us for Christmas four or five years ago.
I set it at 140 degrees for 9 hours and 59 minutes (which is the longest amount of time the timer will give me), and just let it run. Sometimes they seem a little gummy still, so I run them another hour or two.
Finished product:
Time will tell if they actually get used this time around.
We're also saving a gallon bag or two of fresh figs in the freezer. We've experimented with both fig preserves and fig wine made with previously frozen figs. The wine got consumed with much higher frequency than the canned stuff, so we'll probably do that again.
Especially since I made all that jam. I think we're good as far as stuff to spread on toast for at least the next year.
Oh, the yellow figs! I learned several years ago that that variety dried is used to make Fig Newtons. So maybe fig cookie bars might go over well with your crew?
ReplyDeleteThat's a good idea. I also found a fig cake recipe that I'm thinking of trying out.
DeleteThis winter, once it cools down, lol.
I love reading about your gardening habits! I live in the far north, so zone 4, almost zone 3, and it's a very different harvest season. It's amazing to me that figs can be a backyard tree! I buy dried figs as a treat for myself to snack on, and i sometimes cut them up over oatmeal instead of raisins. But as i am the only one of my family who eats them, as many as you have would surely take a long time to eat. I don't have roaches here, but we are in a constant battle against mice in the kitchen.
ReplyDeleteThe oatmeal isn't a bad idea, I might use some for that too.
DeleteIt's a tradeoff as far as what we can grow. We're far enough south for oranges and figs, but too far south for apples or plums (peaches are possible, but are SUPER difficult to get to produce).
I'd be interested to hear what the seasons are like in zone 4! It's the middle of the growing season for y'all, isn't it?
Yes, i am just starting to see red on my tomatoes. The lettuce, peas, and other cold crops are mostly done. In another month we'll have early apples and the whole bounty of good things. We are in the middle of cherry harvest at the fas around us currently. It was a great june for strawberries!
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