9 best recipes for harvesting figs for the winter at home
Fig (fig) has long been famous for its beneficial properties. Fresh fruits are nutritious, high in sugars, potassium and vitamins. However, it is difficult to find fruit in its natural form, we are more familiar with figs as dried fruit from the store. But the housewives still make figs for the winter. We will introduce you to interesting recipes for processing this healthy fruit.
Subtleties of the workpiece
To harvest figs for the winter, it is important to pay attention to the outer shell and the smell of the fruit. The peel of the fruit is rather thin, quickly damaged, the flesh begins to deteriorate and emit a sour smell. You should not use soft fruits for conservation, it is better to use them fresh.
How are figs harvested?
The fig tree is harvested twice a year - in July and September. The timing may shift depending on the place of growth of the plant. Fruit picking is best done in the morning.
This should be done in a closed suit and gloves, since the deciduous part of the plant secretes a liquid that can irritate the skin.
For harvesting figs, ripe fruits are taken, without dents and signs of decay. Keep fresh fruit in a cool, dark place for no more than 5-6 hours.
Preparing dishes
Fig dishes will not deteriorate for a long time and will retain their taste if you follow the rules for using and processing containers:
- Use enamel cookware or stainless steel pans for cooking.
- Wash the jars well with soda before use, treat with hot steam.
- Sterilize the lids just before seaming.
It is best to use glass jars of different sizes to store canned food. Check for chips and cracks before use.
How to prepare figs for the winter at home?
Fresh figs are not stored for long, so there are many different recipes for canning, freezing, drying figs.
Dried product
The fig tree tolerates drying well and retains its beneficial properties. In order to make dried fruits, they take ripe fruits that have fallen from a tree. They are cleaned of dust and laid out on a grate in one layer, slightly moistened with water.
During the drying process, the fruit may begin to ferment. To prevent this from happening, it is dipped in hot sugar syrup for a few seconds.
The figs dipped in sugar are laid out on boards and dried for two weeks. Then the fruits are flattened, strung on a string, hung in a shady dry place.
Can figs be frozen in the freezer?
The only way to preserve all the useful substances of the fig is to freeze it. For harvesting, ripe fruits of a dark color are taken, without signs of damage or decay. You can freeze the figs whole or by cutting them into slices.
Freezing sequence:
- wash the fruit, let it dry;
- put the fruits on a tray and put in the sun to dry;
- after a day, send the workpiece to the freezer for 1-2 hours;
- transfer frozen fruits to containers or bags.
The workpiece is stored in the freezer for no more than 6 months.
Fig jam
One way to save figs for the winter is to make jam. The cooking process will take no more than 15 minutes.
Ingredients:
- fig tree - 700 g;
- sugar - 500 g
Peel ripe fruits from debris and cover with sugar for 3 hours to extract juice. Next, put the container with fruits on the fire and cook for 5 minutes. Let cool and soak in syrup for 10 hours. Drain the syrup, boil and pour the berries, packaged in jars. Roll up the container, put it in the cellar.
Fig jam
For preparation you will need:
- fig - 1 kg;
- granulated sugar - 0.5 kg;
- lemon - 1 pc.;
Wash the fruit and cut into small pieces. Set aside a small amount of chopped figs. Peel the lemon. Pass the fruits through a blender. Pour sugar in the puree, cook for 30 minutes. Add lumpy figs and boil. Distribute in containers, seal with lids.
Compote
Ingredients:
- fig - 600 g;
- sugar - 300 g;
- water - 6 liters.
To prepare compote, add sugar and prepared fig fruits to boiling water at the same time. Boil the drink for 10 minutes. Pour liquid into sterilized containers, distribute fruits evenly. Cork the jars, put them in a dark place.
Figs in syrup
Components:
- figs - 1 kg;
- granulated sugar - 750 g;
- lemon - 1 pc.;
- water - 300 ml.
Put the washed fruits in a saucepan with boiling water, cook for 5 minutes, and drain in a colander. Boil the syrup from water and sugar and add lightly cooked fruits to it. Simmer the mass for half an hour. Squeeze lemon juice into figs in syrup and cook for 10 minutes. Arrange in jars, close with lids.
Pickled fruits
Ingredients:
- fig - 1 kg;
- sugar - 700 g;
- salt - 10 g;
- carnation stars - 10 pcs.;
- bay leaf - 3-4 pcs.;
- peppercorns;
- cinnamon powder - 5 g;
- lemon - 1 pc.;
- vinegar - 200 ml;
- port - 100 ml.
Wash the figs, pierce the skin with a toothpick. Arrange fruits, bay leaves and lemon zest in containers. In a separate saucepan, boil the brine made from sugar, salt, vinegar, port and spices. Fill jars with figs with boiling liquid. For 7 days, drain the marinade twice a day, boil and refill the container with it. After a week, drain the brine, distribute the spices evenly over the jars, pour in boiling marinade, seal the containers.
Wine
For cooking you will need:
- dried fig - 1.5 kg;
- sugar - 1 kg;
- wine yeast - 10 g;
- water - 4 l;
Cut the fruits into small pieces, pour into a container of a suitable size. Boil the syrup and pour into the bottle. Top up with water, add yeast. Cover the bottle with paper and make holes in it.
Do not stir, cool or heat the drink for a month. The end of the infusion of wine will be evidenced by the fruits that have settled to the bottom.
Strain the drink, pour into clean bottles, transfer to a dark, cool place.
Liquor
Ingredients:
- figs - 5-6 pcs.;
- water - 800 ml;
- sugar - 1 kg;
- alcohol - 1 l.
Crush the fig tree into gruel, add water, let it brew for a week. Strain the infusion well with cheesecloth or a fine sieve. Pour the liquid into a bottle, add sugar, add alcohol, stir thoroughly. Infuse the drink for several hours. Strain again, pour into containers, transfer to a cool place.
