Thursday, July 26, 2007 10:17 AM
What can I do with fresh figs?
Q: What can I do with fresh figs? They’re in season, but I have no idea how to prepare them.
A: Delicate, juicy figs are one of those summer/early fall delicacies designed by Nature to be eaten in their natural state. After a light washing, nip the stem-y tip off of the end with a paring knife and cut the fig in half or several small vertical slices. Arrange the figs on a plate and drizzle with honey or sprinkle with crumbly blue cheese or goat cheese.
Fresh figs have a fairly short shelf life (they seem to start deteriorating as soon as they leave the store), so if you find yourself with an overabundance of ripening figs, make a simple fig chutney or preserves.
Basic Fig Chutney
3 medium red onions
10-15 large, ripe, washed figs
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 tbsp. mustard powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne
1 tbsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. salt
1/4 lb. golden raisins
Halve the onions and slice into thin half-moons. Place all ingredients into a large, heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce flame to medium-low and simmer for 2 hours until chutney has thickened.
Chutney can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
For details on canning and preserving figs, there is no greater resource than The JamLady Cookbook by Beverly Ellen Schoonmaker Alfeld.