I have had an exceptional harvest from my two figs trees this year; I have chutnied and jammed and gorged myself on figs straight from the tree.
There are plenty outside drying in the last of the summer heat that will go into the freezer once they are ready but still lots more on the trees waiting to be picked.
I hate to see produce go to waste, so I wanted to try something a bit different with the last of my bounty. I was delighted when I came across this great recipe from Hildas kitchen Blog.
It is a matter of choice how long you dry the figs for once they have been candid. I like mine slightly chewy on the outside but still a little gooey in the middle.
I haven’t needed to use the dehydrator as it is still hot enough outside to finish them off in the sun. Two days seems to have worked for me.
It is a wonderful way to preserve your excess fig harvest but be warned, once you start eating them it is damn hard to stop!
CANDIED FIGS
Makes around 50
INGREDIENTS:
1500 ml water
600g sugar
1.5 kg figs
1 small lemon, sliced
1 teaspoon cardamom pods
½ teaspoon whole cloves
1 inch cinnamon stick
METHOD:
Stir water and sugar in a medium-sized saucepan and simmer over medium heat, until sugar is dissolved.
Add lemon slices, cardamom pods, whole cloves, and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil.
Place whole figs into a strainer and gently wash them. Carefully plop figs, one by one, into the saucepan.
Simmer the figs and the syrup for 1-½ hours.
Leave in the syrup for 12 hours or over night.
Day 2 (or 12 hours later):
Bring the syrup to a simmer for the second time.
Simmer the figs for 1-½ hours.
Allow the figs to rest in the syrup for another 12 hours or overnight.
Day 3 (or 12 hours later):
Drain the figs and retain the syrup for other uses.
Place figs on dehydrator trays, leaving plenty of space for air circulation. Set the temperature to 125. Dehydrate until the glace figs have the desired texture.
Notes
To avoid burning the figs, make sure the heat isn’t too high and that you keep an eye on the figs as they’re simmering.
If the syrup gets too thick, you can add additional water, but just enough to bring the syrup back to a syrupy consistency. You don’t want to water down the syrup too much.
Store the candied figs in mason jars and keep them refrigerated for up to 6 months.
