How to store dried figs. Amazing Fig Berry

Figs are the oldest cultivated plant that prefers a subtropical climate. Its fruits are called wine berries. As they mature, they become sweet, juicy, pear-shaped fruits filled with small seeds.

AT fresh figs are delicious in a special way, and when dried, they become even sweeter and give a feeling of satiety.

In order for the berry not to lose its qualities, it is necessary to store it correctly.

How to store fresh figs

Ripe figs are not easy to keep fresh. It has a thin skin and the fruit is very tender. Therefore, it is easily fermented and spoils quickly. Figs do not like transportation. For transportation, only immature fruits are used, which did not have time to gain sweetness and taste. Before use, such berries should be placed in a sunny place for ripening - for example, spread them out on a windowsill. But there is no guarantee that they will become soft and juicy.

Ripe fresh figs available where it grows: in the Caucasus, in the Crimea, on the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar Territory.

If you managed to buy fruits recently picked from a tree somewhere, it should be noted that when room temperature they cannot be stored: it will not take even a day for the fermentation processes to start.

The best place to store fresh figs is fridge, namely - compartment for fruit. Before placing the fruits there, it is necessary to check the temperature: in order to keep the figs for a week or two, it should not rise above one degree of heat.

Features of storing dried figs

Dried figs contain four times more protein and sugar than fresh figs.

Light-coloured fruits are chosen for drying. They have golden skin and white flesh. The size of the fig is about five centimeters in diameter. It is generally accepted that small fruits are tastier than large ones.

Seedlings are dried in the sun for three or four days. Then they should be laid out in a container and covered with a lid.

Choosing dried figs, you need to take into account the following points:

high-quality fruits have a beautiful amber or dark matte shade;
the white coating on the surface of the fig is glucose, the excess of which comes out. Such fruits are very sweet;
there should be no dark spots on the figs. Fruits with such a defect cannot be saved, since they are already slightly spoiled;
good figs are slightly soft to the touch. If it is too hard, it means that the fruit is too dry;
the figs should be slightly flattened and about the same size.

It won't hurt to take a sample. The taste of quality figs is sweet. If it turned out to be sour, it means one of two things:

figs were stored incorrectly;
for drying, low-grade raw materials were used, most likely stale.

High-quality dried fruits can be stored for several months. Figs prefer low humidity and temperature. In other conditions, it becomes damp and attracts pests. Therefore, the fruits are placed away from sunlight and moisture.

So, for storing figs, we choose a dry and cool room. The fruits can be put in canvas bags, loaded into glass jars and cover. It is not forbidden to simply spread the figs into containers with lids that fit snugly.

Figs (ficus carica) do not grow in our area, but they have long ceased to be considered an exotic fruit. Fig tree or fig - this is how we call these mysterious fruits that can be found in supermarkets at any time of the year, but their ripening period falls at the end of summer and autumn. Figs can be dried or fresh, but both types have quality attributes that should guide the purchase of figs. Regardless of the color, which can be both dark and light, fresh fruits must be firm and free of stains. Dried figs have a nice amber hue and shouldn't have any blemishes either.

Quality fruits are always dull, have a pleasant smell and sweet taste. The slightest sourness indicates that the fruit began to deteriorate. But the white coating should not be alarming - it's just an excess of glucose. Figs have many beneficial properties, including antipyretic and anti-inflammatory, help to cope with a hangover and prevent the formation of blood clots. The only downside is excessive amount sugar, which does not allow people with diabetes to use it.

The most important thing about storing figs

Without a refrigerator, fresh, fully ripe fruit will spoil very quickly.

Unripe figs can be sent to a dark, dry place for a few days and they will become much sweeter.

Dried figs should be placed in a canvas bag, and then in glass container with tight fitting lid.

How to store fresh figs

If a fresh fig came across in the store, then most likely it was brought from the Crimea or the Caucasus, where you can grow it closest. Storing figs at home is quite possible. Can it be left at room temperature? In no case, since fermentation processes will soon make themselves felt.

As long as possible, figs will be stored at a temperature of 1-3 ° C, so the place for these fruits is in the refrigerator.

It is better to place it in a separate container or wrap it in paper so that it does not absorb foreign odors. Up to four days - that's how long figs are stored in such conditions.

How to store unripe figs

Storing figs at home is possible not only in the refrigerator. If it is unripe, then before storing the figs at a low temperature, they must be left in a dark, dry and cool place until they are fully ripe. Such a place can be a pantry, basement, cellar, etc.

Unripe figs can be left right on the shelf, after a couple of days it will reach the peak of its maturity.

How to store dried figs

Dry figs can be stored for up to six months, depending on what to keep it in and at what temperature. It will “feel” quite comfortable in the freshness zone of the refrigerator, in a package or a food container. To extend the maximum shelf life, you need to regularly open the container with figs and check for any fruits or mold that have begun to deteriorate. The basement also has the necessary conditions storage for these fruits.

One way to store figs is to place them in a linen bag and then in a glass container with a tight-fitting lid. The main thing is that the humidity in the room does not exceed 80%, and the temperature - 15 ° C.

How to save figs for the winter

How to store figs dried in winter, there is nothing complicated. But in the basement, it can be threatened not only by mold. Everyone knows that insects love to eat dried fruits, and figs are no exception. Sulfites, namely sulfur dioxide, referred to as E220, are what figs are processed for storage for the winter. When processing fig cuttings with such a composition, the appearance of pests can be prevented. But it is better not to resort to such, to put it mildly, not useful methods.

There are other ways to store dried figs at home, for example, in the form of blanks. Prepared from figs delicious jam, jam, marshmallow and even sweets and wine.

You can also freeze it for the winter. For this, it is better to use quick freezing at -30 ° C, but at home, the capabilities of the freezer will be enough.

Frozen figs can be stored at -15°C for up to 1 year.

Regardless of the chosen method and place, there is one important rule in how to properly store figs: the fruits must lie in one layer, otherwise they will begin to deteriorate much faster.

Grows everywhere, including forest lands. At the dacha there are also three trees, differing in the degree of ripening into early, mid-season and late varieties. I love him because he grows without any of our intervention, and often in spite of him. It bears fruit so often and so much that sometimes it seems: it was necessary to stop on one tree.
Photo: pixabay.com

Every autumn, our family faces a problem: eat, sell or cook. When the first is already physically impossible, since the figs are climbing out of the ears, there is not enough time and conscience for the second, the third option remains. Therefore, until October, in our kitchens with my mother, the future work of culinary art will languish in basins.

Grandmother winter evening took out for tea liter jar deep brown. She believed that since the jam is not sterilized and does not roll up, it must be boiled for 40 minutes after boiling, and no less. I have modernized the usual one in our family.

We put the sorted and washed berries in a basin, cover with sugar and leave for three hours (more conveniently - at night) so that they give juice. In no case do we add water, otherwise there will be few berries later, and a whole tank of juice. We put all this beauty to languish on a small fire, periodically stirring gently with a wooden spatula so that the berries do not stick to the basin.

Well, weed. Together with citrus fruits or separately, you can put fresh or dried mint, lemon balm and even thyme. With the latter, be careful, it gives a very strong smell. In a combination of thyme and orange, for example, my jam somehow turned into cherry. At least the smell was identical.

And finally, what if the autumn turned out to be rainy and all the figs open on the tree, turning into something “guts out”? Don't worry, we'll save you! Such a berry does not keep fresh for a long time, it turns sour. Therefore, it requires urgent measures. cook traditional jam we won’t make it, it will turn out ugly. But for a five-minute period, you can’t find the best raw materials!

We twist the washed berries through a meat grinder, add 1: 1 sugar to the puree, put on fire and bring to a boil. Boil for no more than 5-7 minutes, pour into sterilized jars and roll up! Ordinary jam can be packed in jars with a twist.

And it doesn't matter which method you choose, because winter will be delicious anyway!

Who doesn't like the taste of figs? And it does not matter at all in what form it is - fresh or dried, its unsurpassed taste is able to take any exotic fruit. Speaking of fruits. Did you guess that figs are not even a fruit at all? And not even a berry! This is the flower of the fig tree, which is commonly called the fig.

Figs contain a lot beneficial substances, without which our body cannot exist - iron, calcium, fiber ... This sweet taste exotic fruit retains even in a dried state and does not let go of it for many months. The main thing is to know how to properly dry figs.

There are several drying methods, each of which will help you stock up on a storehouse of vitamins and minerals for the winter.

For the drying process, you need to pick up ripe fruits. The main sign of the ripeness of the fruit is that it should fall under the tree itself. So, we thoroughly wash the fruits, remove all damaged areas. Remember that already in dried form, we will not be able to clean the figs.

Now let's decide - you want to prepare sweet figs or with a natural taste. If you prefer the sweet taste of dried figs, then it is worth doing a preliminary manipulation.

Pour 3 cups of water into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add a glass of sugar, mix and boil in the resulting sugar syrup prepared figs for 7-10 minutes. During the cooking process, stir the fruits regularly with a wooden spatula. Throw the boiled berries in a colander and dry each of them thoroughly. Now the figs are ready for the drying procedure.

Drying in the sun

Put the washed and dried fruits on a wire rack. During the drying process, figs will attract insects with their sweet scent. Therefore, wrap the grate with a layer of gauze, which will protect the fruit from dust and insects. Install the rack so that air can flow to the fruit from all sides.

To speed up the drying process, the figs are cut sharp knife in half and place on the wire rack cut top.

The duration of the drying process in the sun is 4-6 days. Then string the fruits on a strong thread and take them to a shady place to dry.

Drying in the oven

To properly dry the fruits of the fig tree in the oven, you need to follow some rules.

Put the dried fruits on the oven grate.

Important! Never put figs on a baking sheet. In order for the fruits to dry properly, they need to provide air access from all sides! If your oven grate has large holes, you can line it with cheesecloth.

Turn the oven on low and leave the door ajar.
Turn the fruit every 2 hours.
The duration of the drying procedure in the oven is 2-3 days.

Drying in an electric dryer

An electric dryer can significantly reduce the drying process, while the dried figs retain their juiciness and acquire a beautiful golden color.

Cut the figs into two even pieces and lay on a towel to help remove any excess liquid after blanching.
Spread the halves of the fig tree evenly on all the trays of the electric dryer.
If you do not have large fruits, then the drying time is no more than 10 hours.
Large fruits should be dried for a longer time.

Storing dried figs

You can store properly dried figs in bags made of thick cloth or paper. This will help them retain their juiciness and flavor and prevent mold from forming.

If a white coating forms on the dryers, then you should not be afraid of it - this is just crystallized glucose, which gives the figs a sweet taste.

Do not store dried figs in a damp room.

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with an interesting video about drying figs in an electric dryer.

Fig, fig, fig, or fig - according to legend, the most ancient cultivated plant. For millennia, figs have not lost either popularity or useful properties. Let's figure out how figs grow, what figs look like, how to choose them, what to eat with and how it affects health.

Previously, we only had access to dried figs which is considered to be one of the most healthy dried fruits. Now there is an opportunity to buy fresh. Be careful, ripe figs are very tender, if the fruit is slightly wrinkled, it will quickly deteriorate. Therefore, do not collect figs in a supermarket in a bag and do not put it at the bottom of the cart - you will bring a semi-finished product for jam to your house. Boxes, containers or baskets - here the best container for fig.

Ripe figs - how to choose the right one?

How to choose figs so that it is not only healthy, but also tasty? To the touch, the fruits should be quite soft and pliable, but not "float" in the hands. Buy fruits with smooth, clean, intact skins.

If the fig is overexposed to the sun, it will instantly ferment (this is where the glory of the wine berry came from - you can eat and drink at the same time). Smell the figs before you buy, the characteristic sourness will tell you that fermentation has already begun.

If the figs have been lying in the store or on the market for too long, they lose their round shape and characteristic depressions begin to appear on them.

When to buy?

Figs are traditionally harvested from mid-June to mid-October. 7-10 days after harvest, the figs lose their presentation and beneficial features and starts to deteriorate. Unlike bananas or citrus fruits, figs plucked from a branch do not ripen. If you come across hard fruits, you should not take them - they are not ripe naturally and will not "reach" the desired condition in your home.

Strongly unripe figs are not eaten because of the milky juice contained in the fruits. These berries will no longer be as useful as ripe figs.

How to store figs?

It is better to put fresh figs in the refrigerator as soon as possible, on the coldest shelf, so it will lie a little longer. Fruits can be cut and frozen for future use, they will retain their properties for 10-12 months.

An open pack of dried figs can be stored at room temperature for up to a month. If you plan on enjoying them longer, pack the figs in a container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate. It will be edible for a year.

What does a fig look like

Fig fruits can be of different colors. White is called light green or yellowish figs, sweet, with pink or bright red flesh. They ripen in June. The second wave of harvest - August. Black figs are called figs, resembling plums in color. Its flesh is dark pink. And it's even sweeter than white. Ideal as an accompaniment to yogurt or fresh soft cheese.

Brown figs have a brownish-reddish skin and a milder flavor compared to other varieties. It is noticeably less sweet compared to black figs. Good for salads or desserts where sugar or other sweetener will be used.

Figs - the benefits of miracle berries

Figs contain a lot of calcium, potassium and fiber. It has been proven that two dried fruit per day can significantly increase the antioxidant activity in the human body. Figs allow you to dull the feeling of hunger - just one fig will allow you to hold out until dinner.

Not only fig fruits are useful, but also the notorious fig leaves. Studies show that fig leaves help reduce the amount of insulin needed by diabetic patients and also help lower triglyceride levels. Fig leaf tea or fruits brewed in milk have long been used as a remedy for sore throats, coughs and other lung diseases, including asthma. Fig leaves are also used in the treatment of stomach ulcers.

Fig fruits are known for their diuretic, diaphoretic and antipyretic properties. Dried figs are a mild natural laxative. Figs contain more iron than apples, so they are good for healing iron deficiency anemia. Figs are also recommended for patients with cardiovascular diseases. Gruel from fig fruits is used as a wound healing agent, a decoction is good for the treatment of abscesses and boils.

In a word, the fig tree both nourishes and heals - a real gift of nature, figs, the benefits of which are enormous.

The history of the fig

Figs began to be cultivated long before the beginning of our era, mentions of it are found already in the Sumerian period. According to some interpretations, the Serpent seduced Eve from the true path precisely with the help of a fig fruit, and not an apple at all. And there is no doubt that it was from fig leaves that Adam and Eve sewed their first loincloths.

The ancient Greeks considered figs a gift from the goddess Demeter. The fig tree was called the tree of life and knowledge in many countries from Central Africa to the Far East. Even the Buddha meditated under fig tree. The fruit of the fig tree has been used as a substitute for sugar for centuries. AT North Africa and in the Middle East they are still used as a sweetener today.

In the XVI-XVII centuries. Under the pressure of the Church, the artists covered the nudity of the heroes of their paintings with the image of a fig leaf. Specially hired sculptors sculpted marble fig leaves to cover the shame of ancient statues.

Figs - healthy recipes

Here are some recipes for eating figs:

Fig and prunes salad:

300 g of figs, 150 g of prunes, 2.5 tablespoons of almonds, sugar, orange peel, acidophilus.

Cut figs and prunes into strips. Remove the skin from the almonds, chop. Mix, sprinkle to taste with grated orange peel and sugar, pour acidophilus.

How to cook fried figs:

Cut fruit into halves. Lubricate with vegetable or melted butter, fry. The figs are ready when bubbles appear on the cut surface and the edges start to brown. Fried figs, how to eat this dish? Serve with sweet dishes. You can brush slices with honey instead of butter and serve fried figs with ice cream or soft cheese as an independent dessert.

Salad with figs and brisket:

Add sliced fresh figs and pancetta or bacon to a regular green salad. Season with balsamic vinegar.

Figs with cheese:

Sliced figs can be served with any soft cheese or natural yogurt. A little mint or lemon peel complement the taste of the appetizer. You can also serve figs with Parmesan, drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Taste notes can be orange peel or even a pinch of freshly ground black pepper.

Fig puree:

Grind figs in a blender with a small amount balsamic vinegar or culinary sherry. Add olive oil to improve the consistency of the puree. Salt and pepper to taste. Heat up lightly. Serve with meat or poultry. Now you know how to cook figs - enjoy the wonderful fruits.