How To Preserve Figs Properly
Fresh figs can be preserved by freezing them and they will last for 10 to 12 months. Wash them and dry them completely. Then place them in a plastic container and freeze them instantly. If you want o save them for later place them in the fridge and they will last for 2 days.
Last but not least, we can’t forget the classic Southern fig preserves, which are whole figs made in a thick syrup. However, once they start arriving, they will ripen in barrels, and since fresh figs don’t store well, it’s time to add them. I love fig preserves and jams, but my favorite is canned figs: whole figs canned in heavy syrup. Canning figs in spiced syrup is a delicious way to enjoy fresh figs when their short season is over.
To use frozen figs in a sugar bag, thaw and drain the fig syrup before using it in a recipe. Add the figs and cook until the syrup thickens – this may take a while. Bring the sugar and 10 1/2 cups water to a gentle boil in a large saucepan, add the figs to the syrup and simmer for 5 minutes.
If the figs are not very juicy, you can add a few drops of water to a large pot. Put the figs in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Place prepared figs in a medium saucepan with sugar and lemon juice.
Add 2 tablespoons of the acid of your choice to the canning jars, then add the figs. Using tongs, carefully place each fig in a hot sterilized 1 liter jar and pour the hot syrup over the canned figs. Lemon juice is added as a preservative so canned figs keep longer.
Half a cup of lemon juice per liter of fruit, added to the syrup before coating the fig pieces, will also help preserve the color of the figs. Ascorbic acid or lemon juice can be added to the syrup so that the figs retain their color. Boiling and packaging figs in light syrup (~20% sugar) will help the fruit retain its color and texture.
Drop the figs into the light syrup and heat for about 5 minutes each layer. Make a light syrup for figs by boiling 5 3/4 cups of water and adding 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar. To preserve the color, you can throw half of it into a mixture of 3/4 teaspoons of ascorbic acid and 3 tablespoons of water.
Now add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice for every 250g of figs and bring the syrup back to a boil before letting it cool. Now make a sugar syrup using the same weight of water and sugar as the weight of the figs you have: if you have 500g of figs, mix 500ml of water with 500g of sugar and boil the syrup (no figs) until it will start to thicken. .
| Pros | Cons |
| Figs help promote your digestive health | The can make your stomach upset |
| They may improve your vascular and heart health | They cause you diarrhea |
| It helps you manage your blood sugar levels | They may sometimes interfere with your blood thinners |
| It promotes healthy skin | Eating so much figs can increase your weight |
After soaking, the dry will be slightly dehydrated and your syrup will taste like figs. Make sure to dry the dried figs, even after several months. If you want to freeze a dish that contains dried figs, then you can freeze it.
Keep in mind that frozen figs cannot be used in the same dishes as fresh figs, as the texture will change. Store in the refrigerator or freezer, dried figs can be stored even after several months. Remember that although figs keep for months, it’s best to consume them as soon as possible. I have already mentioned several times that figs are very easy to ferment, so they need to be stored quickly.
You can freeze fresh figs right away or store them in syrup first, as this is a safer way to store figs. If you don’t want to preserve figs in a bain-marie, you can store them in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks or freeze them for up to 6 months. If you are NOT canning figs in a jar of hot water, store the figs in a sealed container dipped in sugar syrup in the refrigerator. Below I have attached instructions for canning fig jam, but you can also skip the bain-marie jar step and place the jam in the refrigerator if you prefer.
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If you want to take a bain-marie with this 4-ingredient fig jam recipe, do it now: read the FAQ section for my top tips, and jump to my canning beginner’s guide for all my top tips and method. . All you need is 4 ingredients (fresh figs, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract) and you will have a beautiful and tasty jam that can be stored in a jar or in the refrigerator. If you don’t like canning, you can of course just place this recipe in food containers and place them in the refrigerator for up to 1 month or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
If you just want to get a few figs out of the freezer at a time (like a smoothie), place the prepared figs in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and place in the freezer.
Carefully fold the prepared figs and place them in freezer-proof containers, leaving a free one-inch space. Fill containers with hot figs and cooking syrup, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. To freeze figs without syrup, place prepared figs in freezer-proof containers, leaving an inch of headspace. Arrange the figs in sterilized jars, pack well, and pour over the syrup, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
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It is not recommended to place figs next to other fruits and vegetables in your storage. Well… next to the food is only fresh figs from the tree! Canned figs are perfect to serve with warm and buttered homemade buttermilk cookies or even plain toast, of course, but they can also be eaten neat, spread over ice cream, over toast, spread with cream cheese, goat cheese, or blue cheese. . , puree for use in baking and other recipes, or even tossed into a salad. In the past, it would have been a rare house here in the far south that didn’t have a few pots of figs stored in a pantry or refrigerator. If you want to store homemade fig jam at room temperature for up to 1 year, you need to prepare this recipe in jars using the bain-marie method.
Are Frozen Figs Good?
Figs could be kept for almost seven days in the fridge. Fresh figs could be stored for up to 6-8 months. But freezing figs could cause a change in texture. When defrost, they turn mushy or soft, but they will not change their taste, and it is good to freeze for more extended storage.
What is the best way to preserve fresh figs?
It is critical to keep fresh figs cool to prevent deterioration. Use them right away or place them in a plastic bag in the coldest area of your refrigerator for up to 2 days. Fresh figs may be frozen whole, chopped, or peeled for up to a year in a sealed container.
Can you dry figs in the microwave?
Once dry, chill them and store them in airtight containers in the refrigerator. You may enjoy them whenever you choose something delicious and nutritious to eat. Although the microwave may be used to dry figs, the oven is a superior option because it is faster.