Whole Preserved Figs
Not fig preserves.
I'm trying to make a recipe that says something like "sprinkle fresh figs with soda....pour boiling water over, and wait five minutes ( toughens skins)...rinse three times with cold water....pour a bunch of sugar over....allow to sit in sugar for two days, then "follow this cycle for the next several days". Then. "after 2 days... simmer.... make sure that all of the figs get some time in the sugary mess ....transfer to holding container and wait 2 more days. ...do this cycle 3 times."
What I don't understand is what the "cycle" refers to. Surely not sprinkling with baking soda, and rinsing. Maybe the "pouring a bunch of sugar"? I believe this was a recipe by Edna Lewis in a book called The Gift of Southern Cooking by Scott Peacock and Edna Lewis.
Any thoughts?
I'm hoping for something like whole glaceed figs.
By Shrinkrap
on Sep 1, 2009 10:49 PM
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Hey Shrinkrap - the Gift of Southern Cooking recipe for preserved figs is my favorite, and as I recall, the cycle refers to the heating and cooling of the figs in the sugar syrup over several days. I've loaned the book out, so I can't check exact details, but I know it gets heated and cooled several times.
They are absolutely lovely when done, not super-firm like some glaceed fruit, but they have that pretty clear appearance and wonderful figgy flavor. I use them for desserts with cheeses. They process nicely in water-bath canner for long term storage, too.
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Thank you! By the light of day (and bi-ifocals), I see there is a semi-colon after " Follow this cycle". Thanks again!
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Haha! I HATE needing glasses in the kitchen these days.... are you using the green figs or mission (black/purple) figs? The directions suggest not using mission, as they get tough, so I've only made these when I've gotten green figs from friends, not from all the mission figs in my yard!
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I'm using "Black Jack". Some say they are like the "California Brown turkey". They are purple-brown/amber-strawberry, but so are about 15 other varieties of figs. Do you suppose it is something about the color, or the variety? One source says" the green varieties are generally reserved for drying".Black Jacks are considered high quality figs, but more importantly for me, a relatively small tree! I guess we shall see!
P.S. I guiltily "looked inside" the cookbook on Amazon; and got some details about the recipe. Sigh.... I've sworn off buying cookbooks, but maybe just one more...
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It's a great book with perfect recipes for both chocolate cake and fried chicken. Just sayin' - it's worth your while. I love Peacock/Lewis!
THANK YOU for posting about the figs. I have green figs that may one day ripen before it gets cold. I'm afraid they won't be the perfect warm summer ripe kind (getting a litttttle late for that) and whole preserves sounds awesome.
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My I cup of sugar did not " cover" my 1/3 lb figs. It's been 24 hours, and the sugar is not "almost completely dissolved". The sugar is somewhat dissolved, then somewhat hardened, and seems to be disappearing! Is it absorbed into the macerating figs?
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Not sure on the variety, book just says that the black mission variety can get tough and leathery when processed in this manner. I'll have to do some studying.....
The recipe calls for 2 lbs figs and 2 cups sugar, so your proportions sound a bit off. I think you've got too much sugar, which wouldn't have enough juice from the figs to form a syrup on its own. Are your figs nice and ripe?
When I've made these, the ripe figs and sugar made a syrup in the pan overnight (but figs weren't covered in sugar), and then I gently heated them and they became more syrupy as they were cooked over gentle heat from 10 minutes. Then cool and reheat the next morning, and the next for three cycles. By this time, there is a fair amount of thick syrup in the pan. You then pack the hot figs in sterile jars, and boil the syrup until it reaches 220 degrees. Pour the hot syrup over the figs, leaving 1/4" headspace, clean and put rings/lids on jars, and process in water bath canner for 15 minutes for 1/2 pint jars. Or you can just pour syup over figs, and store in the frig for several months.
If you are gonna buy just one more cookbook, I'd but this one, I just love it!
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Thank you, and I DID get figs in syrup ( maybe 3/4 cup syrup, about 7 figs) after heating gently in the pan. Here's a link to the recipe I was using.
http://heshechewchew.blogspot.com/200...
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So I think I am at day 4 . I did not cook the syrup to 220, nor did I can the jars. I thought I should test for "tough and leathery", and my syrup was not nearly enough to cover the figs ( my figs were sort of dry farmed....would this make them less juicy? They seemed juicy enough...), even BEFORE boiling the syrup. Today, day one after last boil, they are nice, and not tough, but I am worried there is not enough syrup to cover. Less worried that it was not cooked to 220, although I am curious about how that would have changed things. I will eat a few figs, until there is few enough for syrup to cover, then wait six weeks.
But there are ripe figs on the tree, and I am emboldened......
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First batch still "young", but taste good. Reminiscent of plums. Never made quite enough syrup though. I am starting a new batch without the bicarb to "toughen the skins". Birds have been having a great time, so the figs must be pretty good about now!
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I have syrup!
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I was intrigued by this post, so I started a batch of my own, with 2 lbs of green figs. Unfortunately, at day 4 (time for the second simmering), there was a definite whiff of fermentation happening! Did you refrigerate your figs in between cycles or leave them at room temp?
In any case, I decided to go with the flow. I'm simmering the figs now with some spice (clove, cinnamon sticks) a little extra sugar, and a healthy dose of red wine vinegar. I'll get some spiced, pickled figs out of this batch, and leave the glaceed figs for another. The syrup is already yummy.
How have yours turned out?
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I did not refrigerate. FWIW, I have several figs, just sitting on my kitchen table, that seem to be drying (and not spoiling) with no effort on my part. It is very dry here, although I believe we had some rain last night (no evidence but I think I saw a cloud today) , first in abourt six months.
I finished the second batch last night, including boiling the syrup to 220, and sealing my one title 1/2 pint jar! Interestingly, the syrup doesn't look as thick as that of the first batch that I did not bring to 220, but I keep those in the fridge. Real nice with crackers and goat cheese at midnight, but I'm trying to keep some for six weeks. Any thoughts about why bring the syrup to 2200?
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I'm in California, so it's pretty dry here. But the figs I used are my juiciest figs and have a tendency to ferment all on their own -- they would never dry on their own! -- so in retrospect they were probably a bad choice. They made PLENTY of juice with the sugar in that first step.
Regarding bringing the syrup to 220: I imagine it changes the sugars somehow, probably making them more stable and less likely to crystallize out. If you ever look into candy making, you'll be amazed at how many different textures sugar and water can achieve, depending on how high the temp is.
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I don't know...apparently green figs are the figs of choice for this recipe...at least in the south! I am in California too. 104 degrees a few days ago..
"you'll be amazed at how many different textures sugar and water can achieve, depending on how high the temp is."
Yes, I was checking that ( what 220 represents in candy making) out in Joy of Cooking, and often make chili and strawberry preserves. Just not sure how it applies here, but I like the crystallizing theory.
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Right, but even among green figs there are many varieties. My Grosse Monstreuse de Lipari (affectionately known as Ed's Big Yellow) is my most prolific producer, so those were the ones I used, but as I say, they are very juicy. My White Adriatic and Bourjasotte Grise are pretty moist too, though, so I'm not sure I have any good choices. I don't have Kadota, Desert King, or any of the drier greens, unfortunately. My various black figs tend to be drier, but wouldn't be as pretty. Oh well!
Do you have any idea what variety your green figs are?
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I don't have green. Mine are "Black Jack", a small tree (most important!): two crops for me; purple skins, amber/strawberry inside, 6 or 7 make a half pond, and I THINK they are juicey, but don't have much to compare to. My farmers market and CSA figs look very unappealing compared to these. I will try to post a picture.
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With my latest batch, started today, I put the figs ( 4) and sugar in a jar....and covered it....only an hour, and syrup already forthcoming...who new? I wonder how much climate matters.
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The purple are the "Black Jack". I also used to grow these green "Desert King", but fig tree roots where taking over my raised beds.The "Desert King" might have been "juicier", with no "eye" into the interior flesh, and a thinner skin.. Hmmm... those look good....
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I've got another batch going!
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I've got the 2011 batch going.
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