FigsJam

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Freezing figs

The easiest way to keep a harvest for jam later: tray-freeze whole or halved figs, bag them, and cook from frozen.

By FigsJam 3 min read

During the peak of the season the trees give more than we can cook in a day. Freezing is how we bank fruit for jam sessions later in the year.

Method

  1. Pick over the figs and discard anything soft with mould or smelling of fermentation.
  2. Rinse briefly and pat completely dry. Trim the stem tips.
  3. Leave whole, or halve if they are large. Halved figs freeze faster and pack tighter.
  4. Lay them in a single layer on a tray lined with baking paper, not touching, and freeze until hard.
  5. Transfer to freezer bags or containers, press out the air, label with the variety and date, and return to the freezer.

Using frozen figs

Thawed figs collapse and weep, which is fine for jam and useless for a fruit plate. For jam, tip the frozen figs straight into the pan with the sugar and lemon juice; they thaw and release their juice as the pan warms. Expect a slightly softer set than from fresh fruit and cook a little longer.

How long

We use frozen figs within the year. Quality drops gradually after that rather than suddenly.