How about drying some?
Someone I know used to can figs....or maybe they were commercial...I loved them! a jar of canned figs in heavy syrup! What's not to like!

Not being a ble to grow figs here, I don't really have any good recipes, but Melanie sent me some wonderful fig mustard, I loved it. If you have a good mustard recipe, you might try adding some figs. That should use one. Or two. LOL.

How about homemade "fig newtons". I love fig newtons and I have a recipe from Diane (craftyrn). They're yummy and not as involved as it sounds.

Cuccidati

================
Crust:
3/4 cup margarine
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
rind of 1 orange
4 teaspoons orange juice
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
Filling:
1 string of figs (2 cups dried or 1 eight oz. Package dried)
8 ounces raisins
8 ounces brown sugar
1 pound walnuts
1 pound dates
1 orange
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 ounces whiskey
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1-1/2 cups water
Frosting:
3 cups powdered sugar
4 ounces butter
orange juice
. .
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Crust: In large bowl, cream together first 3 ingredients. Add orange juice and orange rind. In separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Add to creamed mixture along with vanilla.

Filling: Prepare several days ahead of time. In a food grinder, grind figs and raisins. In large saucepan, simmer raisins and figs with brown sugar and water for 15 minutes. Grind walnuts, dates, and orange. Stir into hot mixture along with cinnamon, black pepper, and whiskey. Remove from stove, mix well, cover, and let mellow for 3 days. Note: This recipe makes enough filling for 2 batches of crust and can be divided and frozen for up to six months.

Roll dough into 3" wide strips on pastry cloth. Lay filling down the center and wrap dough to form a long "sausage-like" cookie. Roll back and forth until crust seems very thin. Cut in diagonal about every 1
1/2 inches. Place on cookie sheet close together and bake for 10-13 minutes. Cookies should be barely brown. Cool and store in tins 5 days, then frost.

Frosting: In medium bowl, mix together margarine and powdered sugar until well blended. Add enough juice to make a thick glaze. Top cookies with a thin coat. Let frosting dry a couple of hours then store in tins
as follows.

To Store: Line tins with foil, place a layer of cookies, then a layer of wax paper (NOT plastic wrap). Keep repeating, ending with foil and then the lid.

Here's another I've used, it's basically good but I don't like the wine in it. Funny, since I've never learned to like wine, LOL, and I don't remember where the recipe came from. I'm sure you could use fresh figs instead of dried, it might take a bit longer cooking time to thicken the filling.

Fig Bars

A sophisticated version of the supermarket standby, these moist cookies keep well.
Makes 2 dozen.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
3 cups dried Calimyrna figs
1/4 cup honey
1 cup red wine
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon finely ground pepper

Cream butter and sugar with the paddle attachment of an electric mixer. Add egg, 1 egg yolk, vanilla, and lemon zest; mix well. Add flour and salt; mix on low speed until dough just comes together. Wrap dough in plastic, and chill until firm, about 1 hour.

To make the filling, combine figs, honey, wine, 1 cup water, cinnamon, and pepper in a small saucepan, and cook over low heat, stirring often, until reduced to a thick paste, about 10 to 15 minutes. Spread filling on a baking sheet to cool.

Divide dough in half. Roll out one half to fit a 10-by-15-inch baking sheet. Pick up dough by wrapping it around a rolling pin, and unroll it onto baking sheet.

Spread fig filling evenly over pastry. Roll out remaining half of dough, and cover filling. Trim excess pastry to make a perfect rectangle. Chill for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Use a paring knife to score dough lightly into 1-by-3-inch bars. Use a fork to prick holes in each bar. Make an egg wash by combining remaining egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water. Lightly brush bars with egg wash. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Cut into bars, and let cool.

You can can them, and use them later for tarts or whatever, you don't even have to peel them or cut them up, I've never done it but the process from Michigan State University looks easy:

CANNING FIGS

QUANTITY: An average of 16 pounds is needed per canner
load of 7 quarts; an average of 11 pounds is needed per
canner load of 9 pints--an average of 2-1/2 pounds yields 1 quart.

QUALITY: Select firm, ripe, uncracked figs. The
mature color depends on the variety. Avoid overripe figs
with very soft flesh.

PROCEDURE: Wash figs thoroughly in clean water.
Drain. Do not peel or remove stems. Cover figs with water
and boil 2 minutes. Drain. Gently boil figs in light syrup
(5-3/4 cups water to 1-1/2 cups sugar for a load of 9 pints or 4 quarts, 9 cups water to 2-1/4 cups sugar for a load of 7 quarts) for 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice per quart or 1 tablespoon per pint to the jars; or add 1/2 teaspoon citric acid per quart or 1/4 teaspoon per pint to the jars. Fill hot jars with hot figs and cooking syrup, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process.

RECOMMENDED PROCESS TIMES FOR FIGS
IN A BOILING-WATER CANNER BASED ON ALTITUDE

0000-1000 feet: 45 min pints, 50 min. quarts
1001-3000 feet: 50 min pints, 55 min. quarts
3001-6000 feet: 55 min pints, 60 min. quarts
6001-0ver: 60 min pints, 65 min. quarts

Or just send some to me, LOL. Oh, never mind, I'll bet they wouldn't make it here before they became fig mush. Or maybe they'd ferment and I'd have fig hard cider? LOL

Happy Canning.

Annie

Mine is quite similar to the first one. I've made the Food Network one lots of times.

Here is a link that might be useful: quesadillas

Call some friends to pick 'em

This isn't savory canning, but it looks good. Nijiya Market carries the gari, and you can come get the shiso from me for the udon recipe. Both are from Eric Gower, The Breakaway Japanese Kitchen.

Tofu with figs and pickled ginger

3 fresh figs
2 heaping tablespoons gari (pickled ginger)
3 tablespoons EVOO
S&P
1 tub, 1/2 lb soft tofu
1 tablespoon minced chives

Remove the skins from the fresh figs and trim ends. Mix all the ingredeitns except the tofu and chives in a blender. Spooon the sauce over the tofu in a bowl, taste for S&P, and top with the chives. May also be nuked for a minute or two if you prefer hot/warm.

Udon with figs and herbs

1 fresh fig
1 cup parsely, chopped
10 shiso leaves, 1 reserved and sliced thinly
3 tbls EVOO
juice of one lime or lemon
S&P
1/2 lb udon
zest of one lime

Set a pot of water to boil and set aside the udon. Remove the skin from the fresh fig. Put he fig and everything else but the zest into the blender and blend. Cook the udon until al dente. Drain, return to the pot, add sauce, mix well. Transfer to large warm bowls, taste for S&P, top with the served shiso and the zest.

If you like these recipes, I wrote to Eric and hopefully Chronicle Books (email them and campaign!) will reissue it since its out of print :-(

(GINA!!!! DENISE!!!! Anyone else?)

Ah wtf here is one of our giant pumpkins - I put my cell phone on it to show how 'little' it still is

I like to mix a drizzle of fresh orange juice and some orange zest with marscapone cheese and use it to top halved fresh figs.

Jessica, I'm available tomorrow afternoon to help-u-pick! I still dream about your fig-vanilla jam - the best ever!

Gina, wait a couple of days. You can see someone cleaned out the ripe ones. Obvious there will be more!

Need carrots? Basil? Flowers?

thanks but no thanks jessica!

we are headed out of town for 2 weeks - vaca then college drop off!

Hi Everyone,
I'm stopping in for my semi-annual post with a couple of questions.

Does anyone have a guideline for converting dried figs in a recipe to fresh?

I have some frozen figs from my MIL that "need to be used soon and can only be used for preserves". It's only a quart or two, and I really don't care for her preserves (mostly strawberry jello and way too sweet for me). Any suggestions?

Has anyone tried making the filling for fig bars/newtons and frozen it to use later in the year?

following is a recipe from the Natl Center for Home etc....

I'm having a hard time getting my imaginary mouth around the idea of pickled figs .... but with all those figs (lucky you) you might want to try it

Fig Pickles
4 quarts firm-ripe figs
3 cups sugar
2 quarts water
2 cups sugar
3 cups vinegar
2 sticks cinnamon
1 tablespoon whole allspice
1 tablespoon whole cloves
Yield: About 8 pints.

Please read Using Boiling Water Canners before beginning. If this is your first time canning, it is recommended that you read Principles of Home Canning.

Procedure - Peel figs. (If unpeeled are preferred, pour boiling water over figs and let stand until cool; drain.) Add 3 cups sugar to water and cook until sugar dissolves. Add figs and cook slowly 30 minutes. Add 2 cups sugar and vinegar. Tie spices in a cheesecloth bag; add to figs. Cook gently until figs are clear. Co9ver and let stand 12 to 24 hours in refrigerator.

Remove spice bag. Heat figs in brine to the boiling point. Fill hot figs and brine into clean, hot jars, leaving -inch head space. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel; adjust two-piece metal canning lids. Process in a boiling water canner.

Table 1. Recommended process time for Fig Pickles in a boiling-water canner.
Process Time at Altitudes of
Style of Pack Jar Size 0 - 1,000 ft 1,001 - 3,000 ft 3,001 - 6,000 ft Above 6,000 ft
Hot Pints 15 min 20 20 20

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This document was extracted from "So Easy to Preserve", 5th ed. 2006. Bulletin 989, Cooperative Extension Service, The University of Georgia, Athens. Revised by Elizabeth L. Andress. Ph.D. and Judy A. Harrison, Ph.D., Extension Foods Specialists.

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Hi Scotland! I think you can just rehydrate them in water for ten minutes, then peel.

OK canners what do you think of this one:

Fig Compote
According to Chef Shawn Wellersdick, "This compote is great as a sauce or condiment for grilled or roasted duck or other game birds, venison and grilled salmon.
For a fun pizza idea, spread an unbaked pizza dough round with the fig sauce, top with roast duck meat (great way to use up leftovers), crumbled goat cheese and caramelized onions. Bake as usual."

4 cups fresh figs, cut in half
1 T minced fresh ginger
1 medium-sized sweet onion, diced
2 pieces of dried star anise
(available at oriental grocery stores)
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
Pinch of nutmeg
1 T kosher salt
Juice and zest of one orange

In a medium saucepan over low heat, "sweat" the onion in 1 T olive oil until translucent. Add all ingredients except for orange zest and bring up to a simmer.
Simmer for 15 minutes until sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat, let cool completely and stir in orange zest.

I just found this one as well....

Canning experts? I think I like the sound of Jessica's version a bit better.

Fresh Fig Chutney Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2003

2 1/2 cups red wine vinegar
1/2 pound light brown sugar
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
1/4 lemon, zested
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/4 pounds firm, slightly underripe fresh figs, rinsed, stems removed and halved

In a large saucepan combine the vinegar, sugar, onion, ginger, mustard seeds, lemon zest, cinnamon stick, salt, allspice, and cloves and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until mixture is thickened and reduced by 2/3, forming a thick syrup. Add the figs and cook gently until the figs are very soft and beginning to fall apart and most of the liquid they've given off has evaporated, about 30 minutes.
Transfer the chutney to a non-reactive container and allow to come to room temperature before serving. The chutney may be made up to 3 weeks in advance and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. (Alternately, hot chutney may be ladled into hot sterilized canning jars and processed in a hot-water bath according to manufacturer's directions.)

Jessica, I think the Udon Noodle recipe is tomorrow's lunch! (By the way, the fig-vanilla bean jam is the only one I make now... it's by far the best of what I've tried.)

Glenda, Thanks. Puff pastry is sometimes more calories than what I'd like. Good idea to put it in a quesadilla. And as an added bonus, DS eats about anything if I put it in quesadilla form!

Annie, Thanks for posting Diane's Fig Newton recipe. The one I used last year was so-so. I like the orange zest addition... think it will make the difference.

Kayskats. if I get past the "pickle" title, the recipe sounds good... it's in the running with the compote and the chutney.

Ann, I made that udon noodle tonight! Thumbs up: MIL, FIL, DS #1, me. Thumbs down: DH, and picky DS #2 didn't try it.

My offer is still open for the shiso!

I'm going to run the compote I posted by the Harvest forum folks. Only thing I would change is the tablespoon of kosher salt...in addition to the soy sauce???

My own personal preference is to stay away from vinegars. I'm not a 'sour' person (have fun with that), so dilly green beans and pickles usually sit unloved. I like making them and giving them away!

OK I posted at Harvest. News at 11:00.

How about a mock strawberry jam?

Mock Strawberry Jam
6 cups figs peeled and mashed
6 cups granulated sugar
4 pkgs (3 oz each) or 2 of the large ones; strawberry flavored jello

Add all of the above together and let come to a rolling boil. Boil 6 mins. Remove from heat & remove scum. Seal in clean jars in BWB 10 mins.

Enjoy.

Linda

Hope this isn't too late; these are delicious:

Lorraine's Preserved Figs

6lb figs
3 cups boiling water
3 cups sugar
3 tablespoons vinegar

Make a syrup with the water, sugar and vinegar. Bring syrup to the boil and place in whole washed figs. Simmer gently for 2 hours. Take figs from the syrup and spread on racks to dry in a warm shaded dry area for 4-5 days. Turn over afer 2 days.
Pack figs in layers between baking paper (you can roll them in caster sugar before packing if desired).

Lorraine used to serve these as a "nibblie" with tea/coffee or cocktails after soaking them for a few hours in sherry, then splitting them and topping with a bit of cream cheese. Yummo!