So many figs! I made a fig pie, which was pretty good, and we actually tried our hand at canning fig jam (see photos below). The result was yummy, though quite the effort and a bit sweet (so much sugar!), so I wanted to try something different, even if it meant filling my freezer instead of my pantry. I also have some apples to use up, and wondered if they might go together well. So I googled "fig apple sauce" and found several recipes for compotes. Here's my adaptation of what I found - and it was delicious! Not too sweet, and the mix of fruits is nice. I bet this (uncooked) would also make a great pie filling. Hm..... :)
Ingredients
15 fresh figs (roughly)
2 large apples
Juice from 1-2 lemons
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
Chop figs and apples in relatively small pieces. Mix together in a large saucepan with lemon, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Let sit for an hour or two (optional). Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Turn off heat, cover, and let sit to cool. Serve on vegan ice cream, or in yogurt. or on pancakes, or just eat directly!
Cooked, on stove:
Aside: Jam making!
I'm not sure that I'll do this again, so decided not to make a separate post for it - but it's as story (with photos) worth sharing. We used Sure-Gel (which Don's wife Jan gave me) and followed the instructions in the package. The jars sealed, but it is pretty sweet -- the recipe called for like 7 cups sugar for 3 lbs figs! Turns out sugar is a preservative, and it makes it safer. It also helps it set. Still, the jam was pretty liquidy the next morning. It set up a bit more over the next 24 hours, but didn't set up as thick as I hoped. Also, the fruit rose to the top. I read that you can cook it a bit more to help it set, and chop the figs up smaller to keep the fruit from rising to the top.
Still, it's great spooned into my
homemade yogurt or spooned onto toast. We'll enjoy what we have, and it is kinda cool storing them in the pantry instead of filling the freezer. But I think I'll return to "freezer" jam/compote/sauce for the future -- and just give away jars frequently so they don't fill my freezer. I usually do that, but it's been a little harder to give away in COVID times, as we're not socializing as much. This time next year hopefully things will be different.
