Leahpeah's Tasty – Just Figs Fig Spread

FIGS!!!!!

I had to get that out at the beginning because my love for figs runs deep. When I was a child, we would eat figs in the summer at my Grandma and Grandpa’s home, along with crusty, buttered bread, dates, a little cheese and freshly cracked pecans straight from my Grandpa’s hands.

Figs are in season over the summer. I’ve found the first crop in the early summer tends to not be as sweet as the late July or early August figs. This is because the first crop is actually fruit from the tree growth that happened at the end of last season. The second crop of fruit is from the tree growth that happened this season. In my area, Southern California, we mostly see Black Mission or Brown Turkey figs.

You’re looking for a fig that is deep purple, soft and slightly squooshy but without broken skin. (Fun fact – did you know that figs are really the flower of the fig tree? The outer casing holds a kajillion flowers all mashed close together, creating the inside of the fig.) Buy one basket for every two people. Or buy a ton and freeze some to use through the winter. That’s what I do.

First, gently dump all your figs in a bowl, spritz with a little fruit wash and cover with water. Put your hand in there and swish them around a bit to get the dirt off. Take each fig and cut the stem off, check the bottom and remove the skin if it’s rough to the touch. Check the rest of the fig for blemishes or rough spots and remove. Some people remove the entire skin, but I like the flavor and texture of the whole fig.

Cut the fig lengthwise and drop in a clean bowl big enough to hold all the figs. Repeat over and over and over and over until all the figs are cleaned and sliced.

Take a large spoon and macerate/smash the figs just a bit. If your figs are nice and ripe, your should have a chunky pulp of purple skins and dark seeds with some reddish-orange-ish-brownish delicious meat. Cover the figs and put them in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. This allows the natural sugars to come out and make the spread sweeter. If your figs are not very soft and ripe, sprinkle in about a teaspoon of sugar before refrigerating.

When you take the figs out, it should make you swoon when you look at them. Or is it just me? Use a large spoon to give them a few stirs and salivate. I’m going to assume that you’re eating a bit and freezing the rest, since that’s what I do and everyone in the world is just like me.

For what you want to eat right away, take a bowlful and use a fork to mash them a bit more, eyeballing it until you’re happy with the consistency. I try to get it looking like a thick preserve. Now, spread it on your buttered bread. Or grab some crackers and Mascarpone or Goat cheese and place a dollop of fig on top. YUMMY. Then lick your right hand, index finger, because you got a little on there and you don’t want to waste it. Cover remainder in an airtight container and it will keep for a few days.

Now, for the rest of ’em. Grab out your freezer ziplocks and a permanent marker.

Fold the top down about a third of the way to keep it clean and shovel in smashed figs, filling the bag about a third of the way. Squeeze the air out and close.

Lay the ziplock flat and begin spreading out with your fingers to the edges until you have an even layer of figs. Go ahead and mash them a little as you go. You’ll have a bit of air trapped inside, so open a tiny bit on one corner and squeeze out and close again.

If you’re going to be freezing figs a few times through the summer, mark the date on the bag so you know which bag to use first in the coming months. Continue until all the figs are in bags, then lay flat on freezer shelf.

To use a bag later, like in a few weeks, or a few days because you can’t wait any longer, remove bag from freezer and let thaw on the counter. Don’t microwave, as this somehow makes it over-juicy and unspreadable. But maybe do it if you want to drink some fig juice. Maybe in a smoothie?

After it’s thawed, remove from bag and put in a pretty bowl because you like to look at pretty things.

Mash with a fork until you like the look of it, and enjoy.