Green Fig Preserve

[B'stard Child]

So back in 2015 I left the green figs on the tree as an experiment to see if they would continue to grow the following year - they didn't - Leaving them meant that the fig tree didn't get a prune so it dominated our small garden this year. It did however provide Mrs BC with one or two ripe figs per day and our local bird population with at least one or two a week so everyone was happy.

So this weekend it got a heavy prune and as a result I harvested a few green figs (yeah just a few)

This is a 35 litre builders bucket



Now we had very few green tomatoes this year so no chutney this time - Preserved Green Figs is what I intend to make (great with ice cream or even as a very chunky jam on crusty bread) - I'd done a small batch - back in 2013 - 5 jars as I was unsure if anyone would like them - I should have done more as they were really nice

Now the first stage of the process is a bit smelly - it's not unpleasant but it does hang about so I set up an outside cooking/preparation area



Now it took me best part of 3 hours to prepare all the figs and I started cooking once I had the first saucepan full

Preparation is simple

Cut off the stalk and notch the stalk end with a cross - bit like brussell sprouts so practice for Xmas

Wear good rubber gloves as the white latex like substance is sticky and will also irritate your skin



Then once a pan full is prepared - rinse a couple of times with cold water to remove the latex (milky solution means another rinse required)

Then a bit of cooking





Now this is thirsty work and I'd finished with tea so it must be beer o'clock - a suitable matching refreshment was selected (label being same green)



They don't need initial cooking for long 30 mins is plenty for first stage



However darkness fell so last batch picture was this



Drain off the figs and cool down and leave overnight in cold water



I'd bought some jars......



I think I might need more

[otolith]

You have my interest, I have the same issue. Worthwhile then?

[B'stard Child]

otolith said:

You have my interest, I have the same issue. Worthwhile then?

The five jars I did back in 2013 were excellent - as an experiment it had potential

I'll start the next stage (sugar and lemons and a bit spice to add a bit of zing) tomorrow evening as I've got other commitments today

[B'stard Child]

Oh and just in case anyone wonders - the spare decking planks stacked on the table are because I like to have a work surface at a comfortable height - spending 3 hours standing preparing green figs is a killer if you have a slightly iffy back.

The decking planks are what I've "foraged" to make some new planters for the garden as the ones we have are 23 years old and getting a bit rotten and tired.

I hate waste and like to recycle a little where I can

[Riley Blue]

I really miss my fig tree...

[B'stard Child]

Riley Blue said:

I really miss my fig tree...

Fig trees can quickly grow to dominate the garden around it - pointless if they provide fruit where yo need a ladder to get to it so heavy pruning is needed - my little trial meant the pruning missed a year and whilst we got more figs we got more than we or the birds needed.

Mrs BC has a garden policy of if it grows in the garden it has to give something back

- to us as food
- to us as something we can use
- to the birds and bees

Also on a housing estate with an overlooked garden it must give a little privacy by screening the garden from Windows which overlook our little postage stamp garden.

Now I'm not a huge fan of figs I throw a few in when I roast vegetables if she hasn't scoffed them all but my little fig preserve trial I really liked so keen to upscale it a little

I might even trial a small amount of jam

[B'stard Child]

Some progress pics will be added later but have ended up with just under 9kgs of green figs so split into roughly 3 different batches

1st batch

Green Fig Preserve with lemon, ginger and cinnamon

2nd Batch

Green Fig preserve with lemon, ginger and cloves

3rd batch

Green Fig Marmalade - this is gonna be a journey of discovery as I've not tried this before

1st batch needs putting jars now!!! It's gonna be a long night......

[crossy67]

Nice one. Figs are the fruit of the gods. My 1st ever fig was picked up from the side of the road in Italy, it was like a little black scrotum and tasted like the best jam I had ever eaten. I'm ucky enough to live where they ripen almost as much so go foraging every other day.

I made some black fig and ginger last year that was nice but decided to experiment this year. I made 33 jars of fig jam with lemon juice, orange juice and some cognac in. It's far better than just the ginger, both the orange and alcohol are really nice. Give brandy or cognac a go, it's really nice in plain yogurt.

[B'stard Child]

crossy67 said:

Nice one. Figs are the fruit of the gods. My 1st ever fig was picked up from the side of the road in Italy, it was like a little black scrotum and tasted like the best jam I had ever eaten. I'm ucky enough to live where they ripen almost as much so go foraging every other day.

Nice when food is at the roadside

crossy67 said:

I made some black fig and ginger last year that was nice but decided to experiment this year. I made 33 jars of fig jam with lemon juice, orange juice and some cognac in. It's far better than just the ginger, both the orange and alcohol are really nice. Give brandy or cognac a go, it's really nice in plain yogurt.

Now I'm liking the sound of that - unfortunately all the figs are now committed - Batch 2 and 3 are underway (batch 3 is getting shortcut with a pressure cooker to speed up the process)

[battered]

B'stard Child said:

Nice when food is at the roadside biggrin

You should go to southern Spain at this time of year. Figs grow like weeds. I remember once being on holiday there and we'd eaten our fill, but the things were still rotting at the roadside. One day the horse that belonged to the owners of the property where we were staying had escaped and it was wandering about. I captured it and tried to drag it back to the farm. It was having none of it so I started bribing it with figs. After a handful of figs or so it was more than happy to go where I wanted so I got it back to the farm, tied it up in the shade and gave it a bucket of water.

Oh to live in a country where figs are so plentiful that they lie on the road rotting and you can give them to horses.

[B'stard Child]

The Fig Marmalade in a pressure cooked is smelling wonderful - I hope it tastes as good

Batch 2 is ready for jars now - better crack on!!!

[B'stard Child]

Pics as promised

Batch 1 ready



Jar Prep



Transfer



Cooling and lids labeled



I can only do 16 Jars in a batch (and had a little left over - so that was set to one side)

2nd batch done and cooling



Again 16 Jars with a little left over - added to the previous left over)

Stove was getting a bit busy at one stage



Fig Marmalade (small batch as a trial)

Batch 3 In prep - use the sugar to draw out the moisture so you don't need to add much liquid



In the pressure cooker about to get a move on



All done



Annoyingly I've run out of jars and have the leftover batch and the 1 kgs of figs (not used in Marmalade) to jar off so that's cooling off I'll do that tomorrow when I have got another 12 Jars

[B'stard Child]

Oh and the secret weapon for Stuffing jars cleanly and easily is a plastic funnel trimmed open to fit in the jar mouth - it's at the back of one of the pictures - I never think to take a picture as I'm filling the jars as I like to get them filled and shut quickly......

[B'stard Child]

B'stard Child said:

Oh and the secret weapon for Stuffing jars cleanly and easily is a plastic funnel trimmed open to fit in the jar mouth - it's at the back of one of the pictures - I never think to take a picture as I'm filling the jars as I like to get them filled and shut quickly......

So now all finished



16 jars of Batch 1

16 Jars of Batch 2

11 Jars of Fig Marmalade

23 Jars of Batch 3 (leftovers or lucky dip flavour)

Bets on which one is going to taste best....... (my money is on Batch 4 - it's always the way it works out when you don't have a list of ingredients and qty to fall back on to re-create it)

Thanks for following

[B'stard Child]

Now labelled so I don't forget what they are

[otolith]

[B'stard Child]

otolith said:

what you waiting for - get them harvested and crack on

[otolith]

Plan to, but god knows when I will have time! I have three demijohns of garden cider that really need racking off, just got to get me one of those round tuits.

[B'stard Child]

otolith said:

Plan to, but god knows when I will have time! I have three demijohns of garden cider that really need racking off, just got to get me one of those round tuits.

Well harvest the figs at least - they don't ripen off the tree

The internet says about ripe figs - You can wash and dry the figs and place them on a baking sheet (not touching) and freeze until hard. Once the fruit is hard you can transfer them to a container and store them in the freezer for up to three years.

wouldn't mind betting the un-ripe ones would cope with same treatment

I also wouldn't mind betting that picked washed and dried you could store them in a cool dark place for a fair length of time

[crossy67]

B'stard Child said:

Bets on which one is going to taste best....... (my money is on Batch 4 - it's always the way it works out when you don't have a list of ingredients and qty to fall back on to re-create it)

Thanks for following

That's why I don't follow a recipe