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Help! I have a gallon bag of very ripe figs!

 
gardener
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Someone gifted me with an abundance of very ripe figs.  
I have eaten figs, but have not worked with them before.
I would appreciate any and all recipes and suggestions.
 
pollinator
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I say pit and dehydrate those figs ASAP! Wonderful, sweet, nutritious treats.
 
Douglas Alpenstock
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Also: figgy pudding, of song and story.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figgy_pudding

And this wonderful little read:
https://www.history.com/news/the-holiday-history-of-christmas-pudding
 
Susan Mené
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Figgy pudding!  Those words simultaneously delighted and bewildered me as a child.

I think I'll go with the dehydrating.  Right after I have some grilled with goat cheese and balsamic for breakfast.
Thank you!
 
Susan Mené
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I just read the article from the link you posted and totally enjoyed it!  

The quote "But for the uninitiated, Christmas puddings are eyed with skepticism befitting a dish that can be accurately described as a cross between a fruitcake and a haggis, set on fire." are my sentiments exactly.  

Now I'm fascinated I must try "figgy pudding" made by someone with experience in doing so, because I envision it going south really fast, what with lighting flaming brandy and me trying to play "snapdragons".  
 




 
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My favorite way to eat figs is Fig preserves that way I can have them year-round.

Next, I love them picked fresh off the tree.

In the past, I have frozen the figs to use later in cobblers later.

While not a fig cobbler, this thread has some basic cobbler recipes:

https://permies.com/t/150014/Buckles-Betties-Cobblers-Crisps
 
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I quarter and dehydrate if the weather's at all cooperative. I don't know what "pit" Douglas is referring to, as the one's that are grown here just have very fine seeds. I do cut off the "stem end", but I don't bother cutting off the tail.

I'm drying until they're about the moisture level of raisins, and cut up, they make a not bad replacement for them in recipes.

This year, I added a bunch of fresh chopped ones to my usual pound cake recipe and everyone liked it.

I also make a fig "jam" - really more a spread.  Just chop them, add lemon juice, and a bit of sugar. After they've cooked a bit, I whiz them with my stick blender, bring them to a boil, and then bottle it. I do boiling water bath them since I'm doing low sugar, although the lemon juice adds a good layer of protection through the acid.

A gallon's not that much - I'm sure you can handle it, but if they're very ripe, it's a today job! That said, very ripe is totally the only way I like figs.
 
Douglas Alpenstock
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Jay Angler wrote:I quarter and dehydrate if the weather's at all cooperative. I don't know what "pit" Douglas is referring to, as the one's that are grown here just have very fine seeds. I do cut off the "stem end", but I don't bother cutting off the tail.


Haha, you're right! Somehow I had the wrong image in my head.
 
Jay Angler
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Douglas Alpenstock wrote:Haha, you're right! Somehow I had the wrong image in my head.

I'm thinking you were thinking dates maybe? They'd be awesome to be gifted a gallon of also!
 
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I don't understand. A gallon of fresh ripe figs sounds like about one serving to me.
 
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Just checking in to add some fig eye candy…

A monster “Italian 258” and a bunch of “Peter’s Honey” from yesterday…


IMG_3667.jpeg
[Thumbnail for IMG_3667.jpeg]
 
Susan Mené
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Ned Harr wrote:I don't understand. A gallon of fresh ripe figs sounds like about one serving to me.



Hey!! Fig virgin here! They looked pretty intimidating last night hahaha!
 
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Hi Susan did you get the cuttings to root and grow your own tree? If not, try again mid summer with woody cutting. I found that's easier than green wood.
 
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I've found the most recent season's growth of fig branches taken in winter dormancy (eg at pruning) are the easiest ones for me to root. Second year still strikes OK, but beyond that they're hit and miss.
 
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In the southwest part of Germany, they make fig mustard, which is very good.  Below is a Swiss recipe for the same.  Basically simmer chopped figs, add ground mustard, pepper, coriander, salt and sugar.

Betty Bossi “Feigensenf”
 
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fig wine
 
Susan Mené
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May Lotito wrote:Hi Susan did you get the cuttings to root and grow your own tree? If not, try again mid summer with woody cutting. I found that's easier than green wood.



Hi May!
The cuttings died.  They were thriving and soon after a heavy rainfall they turned brown. I am so new at this; I will head over to the propagation thread and start learning about woody cuttings and green cuttings.
 
Susan Mené
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Jay Angler wrote:A gallon's not that much - I'm sure you can handle it, but if they're very ripe, it's a today job! That said, very ripe is totally the only way I like figs.



Oh you were so right!  I waited, and the bag was blown up like a balloon this morning and the contents were mush.
 
Phil Stevens
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Well, sounds like you're already 3/4 of the way to a batch of fig jam. Chuck it all in a pot, simmer with a cinnamon stick and some ginger, and stir often to prevent scorching.
 
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I'm sooo jealous :/ Lucky if I get more than one fig a year from my trees. Just ate this years solitary offering, could easily have eaten a whole gallon of them
 
Jay Angler
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Trev Ortex wrote:I'm sooo jealous :/ Lucky if I get more than one fig a year from my trees.



For people in a cooler climate and trying to grow figs, this fellow's video on pruning could be helpful.

 
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