What do you do with figs?

[XemaSab]

We've got a LOT on our tree. :shrug:

[Rambis]

1. My mother uses them

in her peanut butter balls but I don't have the recipe with me- basically nuts brown sugar and dates rolled together smothered in chocolate.

[old mark]

2. We are going to have a lot this year, too.

I'm looking into drying them - it seems to be the only way to preserve them other than using them in some kind of freezable fruit mixture.

Still looking into methods. Try Google?

mark

[Maddy McCall]

6. See post 5.

I make fig preserves every summer.

:)

[ghostsofgiants]

3. Don't you know that God hates figs?

[SacredCow]

4. Can them...

That's what my mom does with hers...

[Maddy McCall]

5. Make fig preserves, which are delicious.

Take your figs, wash them, and cut the stems off. If the figs have thick skins on them, you might just want to ring then with the knife.

Put them in a big bowl, and cover with a sack of sugar...and it may take more than a sack of sugar to cover them...depending on how many figs you have, and how big your bowl is.

Sit these in the fridge over night...you can leave them in the fridge for a couple of days if you don't have time to cook them. The sugar will turn syrupy, and the figs will absorb a lot of the sugar.

Next step:

Get a big stock pot, and put the figs in it.

Over medium heat, you want to bring the figs and sugar to a boil. You're going to let them boil until you can take a spoonful of the syrup and drop it into a bowl of cold water and form it into a soft ball with your fingertips.

While your figs are close to being ready, have another pot of water boiling, and take your glass jars and scald each--minimum 30 seconds, but you can leave them in there until you're ready to use them. Get tongs and remove the jars from the boiling water, draining the water, and set them on the countertop on a tray. When you are ready to begin putting figs in jars--In a small boiler, put your rings and lids.

When your figs are ready, put a canning funnel over the mouth of the jar, and take a ladle and fill each jar to within 1/2 inch of the base of the mouth of the jar. Put a lid and ring on each jar.

After you have all jars filled and have used all of your figs, then you'll tighten the rings on the jar.

Next step is waiting for the lids to "pop." Make sure that the button on top of each lid indents. Then you know you have a good tight seal.

These figs will save for a couple of years on the shelf in your pantry. But they won't last that long, because they are delicious on biscuits, toast, pancakes. And you'll be so proud of your figs that you'll give them to friends and family members.

If you decide to can them, and you need any advice, PM me. I can figs every summer.

[GOPisEvil]

14. Seconded. Fig preserves are THE BEST!

:9

Why did I know I would find you here? :hi:

[trof]

15. Thirded

[MrScorpio]

7. You make NEWTONS

Silly wabbit

[Runcible Spoon]

12. ^^^^^^^^^^ This. Figs exist for no other purpose.

dammit now I want some Figgy Snewtons (childhood nickname)

[racaulk]

8. You eat them very slowly...and use lots of tongue.

:hide:

[Runcible Spoon]

13. mmm baby say that again to me...

:evilgrin:

[BrotherBuzz]

9. I let the dinosaur graze on them

When he's finished gleaning the last fig from the tree I pay a friend to haul him away to better feeding grounds.

[abbeyco]

10. Make fig & gorgonzola tarts!

These are awesome little appetizers - if you like gorgonzola.

Mix chopped figs, crumbled gorgonzola, chopped walnuts and brown sugar, cinnamon together (I do it to taste - sorry I don't have exact measurements).

Fill pastry tart shells (or make your own from Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry sheets) with about 1 teaspoon of filling.

Bake at 325 for approx 10 minutes or until cheese gets melty (that's a real cooking term!). Drizzle with honey & serve warm!

Delish with a robust red wine!

I'd dry your extra figs or candy them somehow - you can use them in lots of Mediterranean food and holiday baking. Lucky you!

[pitohui]

11. apparently feed raccoons

i "had" a lot on my tree and they all but one disappeared overnight

i am bitter

[Kali]

19. that's how you know when fruit is ripe!

the pecked holes appear while it is still green :silly:

[Callalily]

16. Stuff them with goat cheese,

wrap bacon around, secure with toothpick and bake. Super yummy!

[Kali]

17. fig wine!

really. also homemade fig jam and newtons. or SEND THEM TO ME! gophers killed my beautiful fig :cry:

[XemaSab]

22. Recipe, please!

:9

[Kali]

26. I never got a chance. Gophers.

:grr:

I would have said figs mushed, water, sugar and yeast. The google has some recipes and one used honey---oh man a kind of figgy mead sounds REALLY :9

[undeterred]

18. Dress yourselves in the leaves, sparingly.

[Adsos Letter]

20. peel 'em and eat 'em....yummmm....

:9

[Arugula Latte]

21. I think they'd be good chopped up on an arugula salad w/ bleu cheese and balsamic vinaigrette

just off the top of my head...

[rug]

23. None of your business.

[Danger Mouse]

24. Nothing.

[Tektonik]

25. Eat 'em fresh

[Z_I_Peevey]

27. You dance!

You do the Big Fig Newton!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpVCdiwhTBA&feature=related

[madeline_con]

28. They're actually wonderful raw.

I had them for the first time in Bahrain in the 70's. It took my (then) husband about 15 min. to recall the English word for "teen" as they're called in Arabic. They're yummy!

Here are some ideas:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=fresh+fig+recipes&btnG=Google+Search

:hi: