If you have ever wanted to make your own dried figs, read on!
Figs are a common, easy to grow fruit, at least in warm areas of the world. However, if you’re like me, you did not know they they existed outside of newton-style cookies for several years of your life. As an adult, I recall seeing dried versions in fancy natural food stores, but did not purchase them due to their expense. (Who wants to pay $6 a pound for something that looks dead and squishy?) However, upon moving to Florida, a brown turkey fig was the first plant I sourced, as locals raved about their fig crops.
Growing Figs
This tree exceeded my expectations. Within the first year, it tripled in height (from about 3′ to 9′ tall) and grew several leafy branches. By the start of the second year, it began producing small, green, knobby protrusions that ripened into figs within a few short months. I was elated to pick my first fresh fig that season and share it with Mr. Grump. We bit into the brown, squishy pod and were disappointed in the earthy, semi-sweet flavor. Letting the fruits ripen longer increased the sweetness somewhat, but neither of us were fond of the mealy texture. Meanwhile, the tree kept producing. I hate wasting food, so I figured that drying them might help.
Drying Figs
While most dried figs sold in stores are whole, my non-professional plastic dehydrator would not close properly until I cut the fresh figs into fourths. For optimal taste, sprinkle lightly with a mix of brown sugar and cinnamon. Then spread your figs onto your dehydrator rack (or a non-stick baking sheet, if using an oven) and set at 135 degrees F (the fruit setting on most dehydrators). In my experience, figs generally take about 8 hours for their state of dried perfection. However, if using an oven or a higher quality dehydrator, I recommend checking on their progress after 6-7 hours.
After drying my first batch of freshly picked figs, I was amazed at the complexities of flavor in the dried version. Mr. Grump, who barely choked down half of one fresh fig straight from the tree, gobbled them up. No other grumps were available to comment because of how quickly they disappeared. If you happen to have a prolific fig tree, drying them will significantly increase their shelf life and will likely make your taste buds quite happy.
What do you do with your leftover figs? Feel free to comment below!
If you’re looking for other easy to grow, heat-resistant plants, check out this post on growing Jewels of Opar!
