Figs are Ripe

And so it’s another fig season.  We have two Brown Turkey trees and one that’s a large green variety — some of these green figs are as large as golf balls.  A number of years ago a lady advertised in the Georgia Market Bulletin for figs and her ad read: “I can do without cattle and I can do without pigs, but to save my life I can’t do without figs.”

Brown Turkey Fig Tree

John and I don’t agree about everything, but we do agree this is not a good fig year. although we have a large crop.  To begin with the flavor is not as good as usual — we also found this to be true of the Georgia Bell peaches we bought  recently — and we assume it’s because of all the rain.  The large green figs are bursting open and rotting on the tree.  We’re trying to save some by gathering them green and allowing them to ripen on the kitchen counter.  We freeze the figs whole putting them in  gallon bags and then in the freezer.  I use them all during the winter — they are a wonderful source of fiber.

We don’t care for fig preserves and I never make them; however, I have a friend in Winfield who makes jars of such.  I’m sharing her recipe and she recommends that only one batch be cooked at a time.

Large Green Figs

Fig Preserves

2 pounds figs                                                   Stick Cinnamon
1 1/2 pounds sugar                                         Few slices of lemon
1/4 cup cold water

Soak figs in water with one tablespoon soda about 20 minutes.  Rinse and drain.  Boil sugar, water, cinnamon and lemon slices until mixture forms a thin syrup.  Add figs, cook for 20 minutes.  Remove figs and let syrup cook for 10 more minutes.  Add figs and cook 5 more minutes.  If syrup is not thick, cook longer (figs and syrup together), but avoid overcooking.