This year the fig tree was very productive. I harvested as fast as I could but often was in a race - let them stay on the tree long enough to ripen and get sweet but not so long as to give the ants, birds, insects, etc. too much of a head start. I estimated we broke even.

Figs have a couple of interesting characteristics. They do not ripen once picked so you must pick them ripe. Fresh figs have a very short shelf life - a couple of days and the go bad.

So, I ate what I could; dried some; and cut and froze the rest. (Next year I will take the drying process more seriously and dry as much as I can.) We know what happens when you freeze most fruits - mush - and figs are no different. So, I have 24 cups of mushy fresh-frozen figs !

A recipe is cobbled together …

• 1/4 cup peanut oil or (butter flavored) shortening
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp real vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 2-1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1-1/2 cups puree’ d fresh/frozen figs
• 1-1/2 cups chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the oil, sugar, vanilla, and salt (if using shortening, cream these ingredients together). Add the egg and mix well. In a separate container, mix the flour and baking soda. Now, alternately add a small amount of the flour and the fig puree into the bowl and mix. Continue until all the ingredients are well combined. The result should be that of creamy mashed potatoes. Finally, fold in the nuts.

Turn the batter into a greased (or sprayed) loaf pan. I use a petite loaf pan which makes eight mini loaves.

Bake for 35 minutes to an hour. The shortest time is for the mini loafs as they cook faster than a single full loaf.

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Posted in Cooking, Figs, Pecans, Recipes |

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