I realize August is long past as November is a few days away but I wanted to tell you about Fig season. August is the time for harvesting figs. Last August of 2017 I didn't do much other than pick them fresh and eat them. This year I wanted to learn how to dry and stuff them as all good southern Italian women AND men do. So another FIRST for me. The white fig is exceptional and is the best one for drying and stuffing. I have many trees on the land. There is the large one near the house that I have shown before but behind the house there must be 7 or 8 more trees. More figs than one person can eat.
This August a friend of the family came to teach me how to harvest figs and prepare them for drying. Then once the figs were dried (that takes a few weeks) she came back and taught me the rest of the process.
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| The large fig tree near my house |
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| A bountiful harvest |
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| You can harvest figs for weeks in August depending on when they are ready. A tree will bear fruit for quite a long time so continual harvesting is necessary. |
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| Some figs are cut open and laid on the grate for drying. Normally this grate would be full but I am only doing a small amount this time |
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| Other figs are dried whole. Many have already started drying prior to being picked |
The whole drying process can take a few weeks, depending on the weather. They must remain outside in the sun. Once dry the stuffing process can begin.
After they are dried, you need to boil them in water. Before the water boils you slice off the skin and white part of an orange and lemon and put this in the water. Once the water boils add bay leaves and juice from a little of the orange. Squeeze a few slices into the water. Add the figs and let them boil for 2 minutes. Continue until all figs have been boiled. You remove the figs and put them on a cookie sheet with a towel to absorb the water. Then lay them on a cookie sheet with parchment paper. They will then be baked in the oven.
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| The boiling process |
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| Figs ready for the oven |
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| Whole figs are baked in the oven as well. |
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| The figs are cooked until they turn golden brown |
While the figs bake, you chop up the rind and white of more of the orange and lemon. You also chop the nuts, usually walnuts or almonds, in small pieces.
Once out of the oven you now stuff them. When stuffing the cut ones you match up two similar size figs. You then put a piece of lemon, orange, nut and a little finocchio (fennel seed) on each piece of fig. Lay one open fig on top of another to make a sandwich of two figs. Squeeze them together and lay them on a cookie sheet. Then you take 2 wooden skewers and then layer the figs on two skewers.
For the whole figs you cut a slice in the top of the fig. You then insert a piece of orange, lemon, nut and finocchio. Then close the opening and put the fig on the cookie sheet. These can then be dipped in melted chocolate at a later time - a great way to serve them at Christmas time. All the figs can be wrapped in parchment paper and kept for quite some time.
And check out the short video!
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| The finished product!! |
It is wonderful to see all the traditions that are carried forward to future generations in southern Italy. There are so many more to learn!!
