Dried Figs

I think I have enough fig preserves put aside for the coming year.  Now I'm putting my Nesco American Harvest food dehydrator to work drying the sweet fruit for future use.

The trick to making the best dried figs is to use fruit that's dead ripe. Once the fruit "droops" it may be picked, but leaving it for an extra day (or two?) allows it to fully ripen.  This fig has drooped, but it's still a little green at the stem end.

To wait is to take a chance that your prized fruit will become bird food, as seen in the photo to the right ...

... or bug food!  Leave it a little too long and it will start to mold.  Check out the fuzzies on the underside of this fruit, which has become a delicious treat for the ant but is no longer very useful to me.  It's a very fine line we gardeners walk!

Once the ripe figs are gathered, wash them gently in cool water, remove the stems, and cut each one in half. Lay them out on the dehydrator trays, skin side down. Set the temperature dial to 135 degrees and wait about a day. Do not over dry.

Figs are loaded with good nutrition and fiber, but they do contain a lot of sugar. Think of these dried bits as natural and healthy candy!