Go Figger

Each year gleaners pick figs for themselves because these yummy sacks of jellied goodness do not last more than a couple of days once picked. Most people don't know what to do with them. Below is a primer...

#1 EAT THEM FRESH while they are ripe to perfection. (see photo left / slightly white pith and red jelly -- the darker, the sweeter the fig.) How do you know when that is? First, do not pick them unless they are ripe. Figs don't continue to ripen on the counter like apples or tomatoes.  Look to see if they are starting to droop at the neck while still hanging on the tree, if they are droopy that means that the neck is soft and so is the fruit. You can also give them a light squeeze, if they give, they are ready. Generally if you bite into them and the skin is still tough and the fruit tasteless, they aren't ripe.

#2 DRY THEM  Gleaner, Jim Moore trims their necks off, slices them into quarters as seen in the photo then dries them on their non-sticky backs at a LOW (105 degree) temperature in a food dehydrator for 15-20 hours. By drying slow and low they will keep their gummy, chewy addictiveness. Dry them faster or higher and they get tough. Life is tough enough without tough figs.

Store in the frig for a couple of weeks or freeze them until the next time you need a bite of summer in your oatmeal or as a snack.

#3 JAM THEM  by cooking up a big batch then can the jars or freeze the batch. Use this recipe that Kathy Ryan supplied a few years ago.

#4 PICKLE THEM  by using Great Grandma's secret recipe or use this sweet option that tastes like Christmas and will wow guests when paired with cream cheese.

There are tons of options on the Internet. This area has an abundance of figs. Experiment!