Figs

[Starlight]

Agggggg. friend brought me huge box of figs. Way more than I can eat. I have shared with folks in the neighborhood and still have alot let for me. They starting to get soft so I need to do something with them quick. Can they be frozen somehow? If so, can you tell me how to do it. Thanks!

[Worth1]

This looks easy.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...kbhewCCnx4FYJA

[Starlight]

Thanks Worth. Appreciate you trying to help. : ) Can't can here. I'm not an experienced canner and way to hot in house. With temps going up and down. My lids all pop up and down as temp changes. Sounds like pop gun going off. I have to freeze everything.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Starlight

Thanks Worth. Appreciate you trying to help. : ) Can't can here. I'm not an experienced canner and way to hot in house. With temps going up and down. My lids all pop up and down as temp changes. Sounds like pop gun going off. I have to freeze everything.

That recipe looks great. I love fig jam, especially on warm brie cheese, then spread on a cracker.

Can you make the jam, then freeze it? I think it would freeze just fine if you portioned it. I would put it in jars leaving space at the top, freeze, and put one at a time in the fridge until gone.

[GrowingCoastal]

I keep jams and jellies in the freezer because I don't use them fast enough to leave in the fridge. For the most part they stay soft enough to spoon some out because of the high sugar content.

I too am picking my Desert King figs. Too bad that I found one half eaten - by a rat? - today. A first time for everything . It has also been enjoying the Sungolds I see by the skins on top of the soil in the pot. I had foiled a previous attempt at the tomatoes by putting those mesh bags that come full of onions or oranges or other produce around the tomato trusses. Doubled seems to work best. I have no idea what to try on the figs.

I put a few figs into the freezer last year in a ziplock and they were ok for a while for spreading on toast but kept too long and they got that freezer taste. Freezing jam would be better. Leave a little extra head room for expansion (as mentioned above) and all will be well.

[AlittleSalt]

Star, here is another option http://homeguides.sfgate.com/harvest...igs-65507.html It is what I would do.

[Shrinkrap]

Here's what I do, from- "The Gift of Southern Cooking" recipe for preserved figs . I have a Black Jack fig tree, and a few other things to keep up with. I like that you can take these one day at a time. And you can put them in the fridge without canning.

Whole Preserved Figs (NOT fig preserve, not fig jam). I've had some in the fridge for a year.

http://heshechewchew.blogspot.com/20...rved-figs.html

http://www.chowhound.com/post/preserved-figs-649391

I've been updating for several years since 2009, including one with my Desert Kings.

[Worth1]

I dont understand why the lids are popping we kept all of our stuff outside in a hot building and I mean a lot of it.
Even the kitchen was 100 degrees sometimes.
If all else was done correctly the only other thing I can possibly think of is too much head space.
This is by no means trying to get you to can it is just a curiosity to me.
Worth

[Shrinkrap]

The first pop is expected, right? After that, the lid should be concave, and left alone. Not sure about "up and down".

It is pretty hot here (I think 104 today), but it never gets hotter than the boiling water bath the jars get sealed in.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Shrinkrap

The first pop is expected, right? After that, the lid should be concave, and left alone. Not sure about "up and down".

It is pretty hot here (I think 104 today), but it never gets hotter than the boiling water bath the jars get sealed in.

Yes they need to pop seal and go on a vacuum.

Sometimes the might do it once or twice or so while cooling down I have heard but never experienced it.
If a jar is sealed but not on a vacuum or very good vacuum it will pop up and down at every temperature change and eve sometimes if the barometric pressure changes.

Some times if I buy a case of new jars I dont always bring the in from the truck.
So they are cool from the store they are cool in the truck.
The next time I get in the truck and it starts to cool off again they will pop and scare me.

Worth

[Starlight]

Thanks so much for the help folks. I think I am going to try several of the methods. Baggies, now that I know it can be done and making the recipes to try putting some in jars in the freezer. I never knew you could freeze jams and jellies like that.

I've tried canning several types and I always do something wrong. Besides having lids pop up and down I've opened jars up I have tried to do and found fuzzy stuff looking back at me. The trash cans are happy when I try my hand at canning. I am in awe of folks who do can. Canners are a special breed of folks.

I follow recipes and try to be so careful and still end up with moldy stuff. Canners have a magical touch that I just can't seem to get and I tired of spending all that time buying jars and lids and all the prepping just to toss everything out. What makes me sad is when I have to throw out so much product from my failure when I could have just given the fresh produce and fruits to somebody else to eat.

I love when there are festivals going on cuz usually there all kinds of folks with canned stuff and I buy from them few jars at a time to keep in the fridge.

Learning how to freeze things instead of trying to can is new to me too, but I am hoping for better success.

[ginger2778]

There isn't much to it, other than filling it leaving a space at the top, wiping the top perfectly clean, placing the lid and screw rim on tightly, then bring back up to a boil for 15 minutes. Remove and the vacuum always happens.
At least that has been my experience.

[Rajun Gardener]

You shouldn't have a problem with lids not sealing if you do it right, even in high temps.

But you can freeze the figs and make preserves later when it's cooler. Clean the figs and cut off the stem end, put in a 1 gallon ziplock and freeze. When you're ready just use it straight from the freezer and it will work fine. Here's a video that shows you how WE have been doing it forever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=OKpcAr0MEBM

[Starlight]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

There isn't much to it, other than filling it leaving a space at the top, wiping the top perfectly clean, placing the lid and screw rim on tightly, then bring back up to a boil for 15 minutes. Remove and the vacuum always happens.
At least that has been my experience.

Part of the problem could be that I don't get the seals on tight enough. I don't have alot of strength in my hands. Some days I get so mad cuz I have to find wrench to open a water bottle cap.

The other reason they pop here is because I don't air conditioning in this trailer. Had feral cats rip open bottom of material under trailer and have babies up in there and neighbors dogs running free have destroyed my duck system trying to get at cat and kittens. Whole duck work needs replaced and when it 100+ outside for months on end during summer it runs close to 125F+ in trailer during day but cools down at night and then things start popping up and down.

So, while I love to share and help feed other folks it would be nice to be able to save some for me during fall and winter to eat, hence learning to try and freeze things.

Originally Posted by Rajun Gardener

You shouldn't have a problem with lids not sealing if you do it right, even in high temps.

But you can freeze the figs and make preserves later when it's cooler. Clean the figs and cut off the stem end, put in a 1 gallon ziplock and freeze. When you're ready just use it straight from the freezer and it will work fine. Here's a video that shows you how WE have been doing it forever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=OKpcAr0MEBM

Thanks! I can't do You tube , tweeter or them other places like that on my computer. Too old, not enough power, so I'll check out the video when I go to neighbors house during week. She has fast computer.

[coronabarb]

Starlight, I'm sorry I am just now seeing this. We have a Desert King fig tree and I have a friend who sells at the market next to me. He's given me about 40 pints that he couldn't sell in the last few weeks. Figs do freeze well, no problem with that. They are also DIVINE when dehydrated.

Now, as to the canning failures - if you go to all that trouble, you might as well be sure to do it right and not waste the figs. Start with new Ball/Kerr canning jars. Wash them with soapy water and rinse. I use a fig jam recipe at NCHFP - it was the easiest one I found. It is a long boil method with no pectin. http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_07/fig_jam.html

You do need to use some bottled lemon juice in the recipe because figs are a low acid fruit and you need to boost that acid. Bottled because it is a guaranteed acidity. Tree fruit can vary. I dislike VERY much the preservatives in bottled so I use Minute Maid frozen juice in the freezer section. No preservatives but more expensive...but I consider it worth it.

Make your jam, boiling until nice and thick. Have a hot water bath canner ready at simmering around 180 degrees. I use a thermometer. Have the jars in that water to keep them hot. Fill your jars up to 1/4" headspace. Don't increase the headspace as it can increase chances for molding. Wipe the rims and threads with a wet paper towel. Even a speck of food can prevent a seal. Put on the ring and tighten JUST finger tip tight. Don't crank down that ring or the air can't escape.

Put in canner and turn up heat; bring to rolling boil, cover and process for 10 mins. Turn off heat, remove cover and let sit for 5 mins. Helps the jars to settle down. Place on dry kitchen towel away from direct draft. Don't tip sideways to remove water on lids. That can break the seal. Let cool for 24 hrs. Check seals, remove rings and check jar for stickiness, and put in pantry.

If you are shortcutting this, (not water bath canning or just flipping the jars to seal, or not wiping rims, or too much headspace OR reusing old lids) you could have problems. You can respond here or private message me if you need more help. Follow the directions and you should have no problem. A true seal is tight enough, that you need a can opener to pry it off. The lid won't bump off or slide off.