Figs - store, freeze, dry or boil down

Storing figs - this is how you process the fig harvest

The right degree of maturity

You can tell the degree of ripeness of the fig at the touch of a finger: if the fruit gives way, the fig is ripe. However, if it already feels very soft or mushy, the fig has already started to ferment inside and you should not eat it anymore. If the fig tastes bitter, it has been stored too long.

Always store figs in the refrigerator

If you want to keep figs for a few days, place the fruits side by side in the refrigerator. To avoid pressure points, do not stack the figs on top of each other and make sure that the fruits do not touch on the sides. The ripe figs keep for about three days when stored in this way. You can keep fruits that are not yet ripe for a little longer; however, these do not always ripen completely.

Take the figs out of the refrigerator a few hours before you eat them and store them at room temperature. This is how the fruit unfolds its full aroma.

Preserve figs by freezing them

You can freeze fully ripe figs. Follow these steps:

use only fruit that is in good condition
Wash the figs well and cut them in half
Boil a syrup solution made from one part sugar, two parts water and a squeeze of lemon
Let the figs soak in the sugar solution for three minutes
Fill figs into suitable containers and flash freeze

Reduce the figs

If you want to reduce the fruit, you should use a bit harder fruit because it does not disintegrate during the cooking process. Alternatively, you can make delicious chutneys, fruit sauces and jams from figs. Fig mustard is an exotic specialty, which you can easily prepare yourself from medium-hot mustard, figs and red wine.

To dry figs

Dried figs are a particular specialty in the winter months. To dry them, halve the fruit and spread them flat on a wire rack. You can cover the fruit with a permeable cloth and dry it in the sunlight for several days or alternatively in the oven at the lowest possible temperature. Leave the oven door ajar so that the evaporated moisture can escape. Drying devices are very suitable for drying figs, which are worth buying if you want to process a large number of figs from the garden every year.