Dried figs

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alisonb

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I planted 40 fig trees 4 yrs ago.Last season they all started bearing fruit-all at once!! Needless to say apart from a little jam that was made the bulk of the crop was given away/rotted. This next season(Dec-Feb) i have huge plans for these figs,i want to dry them but it is not as simple as it sounds. Can someone please enlighten me?
Here is nice and simple fig jam recipe-
1kg skinned quarted figs(or smaller if you prefer)
750g sugar
40ml lemon juice
Place above in heavy based pot and cook on low until it thickens.
And bottle.It is almost "flop proof".
 
Which variety did you plant?

I can't help you on how to get them dried, but I can help you keep fruitfly away. There is also a huge demand for greenfigs if you have the right varieties, picking greenfigs will actually make you have two crops in a season.

I do have a very good recipe for greenfig preserve, the one where you don't have to scratch the skin off.
 
Thanks for your reply Knersie.
Would welcome advice on how to rid fruitfly and recipe.I have never tried the 'green' fig thing.
I took cutting off a huge old tree on the property, i do believe it may be the White Genoa,not sure but a loverly fig-nice size aswell.
I attempted drying them last season(sun) but it was not very sucsessfull. I know sulphur dioxide is used to prevent oxidation + discolouration but want to keep it organic if possible.
Thanx again
 
There is a solar drier that you can build quite easily with an oil drum and some plywood. What you do is cut the plywood and make what looks lke a bed with and arched head board and an arched footboard in the shape of the barrell arch. You cut the bottom of the barrel out and mount this to the frame. Inside the frame, on the mattress part of the bed you cut grooves for airflow. On the arch part of the wood you cut openings at the top of the plywood in the arch part for outflow of air. Do this on both ends. On one side you cut a door in the plywood and you stick a frame to hold drawers. Drawers are simple wooden frames with the bottoms made out of screening material or hardware cloth.

Sun will heat up the barrel and the air will rush in through the bottom and come out the top outlets and dry things quite nicely on sunny days. You can also rig another attachement to this so you can burn the sulfur and let its smoke get drawn through the contraption if you want.
 
40 fig trees is going to be a lots of fig picking on of these days. :shock: I like em right off the tree.
 
Thanks Jogee
The setup that you describe there is proberly one of the most effective. I made a similar one out of a drum but omitted to allow for the airflow and thus had to rotate the shelves-makes sense,will amend.
The burning of sulphur? Do you think that will prevent discolouration and at the same time act as a preserver?
 
alisonb said:
Thanks Jogee
The setup that you describe there is proberly one of the most effective. I made a similar one out of a drum but omitted to allow for the airflow and thus had to rotate the shelves-makes sense,will amend.
The burning of sulphur? Do you think that will prevent discolouration and at the same time act as a preserver?[/quote]

Most definitely. It will preserve color as well as protect vitamins in the fruit.

Here are some sulfuring times. Apples - 45 min; apricots 2 hrs; nectarines 8 min; peaches 8 min; pears 5 hrs; prunes 1 hr. Sorry, couldn't find figs.

BTW - is you use the sulfur in the box described you may want to be sure to use a plastic or polymer screen for the shelves cause the fumes will corrode metal. Some peopel will just use a cardboard box over the shelves then later put them in the drum drier.
 
Thanks again Jogee
Think i better start practicing on other fruit before i get hit with the load.
BTW-luv your dog!
 
blossoms037.jpg

Spring has sprung this side of the world and so have the figs-frightning as i'm not nearly rigged out to accomodate the bulk yet.
Jogee-i converted the drum and have tested apples in the meantime-perfect.Am now busy with 2m(length)X1m(width)X1.5m(height) drier.It will have 6 drawers running on bearings and a fan mounted on the bottom for circulation-still plenty of work!
Will send some pics sometime.
 

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