Luscious Black Mission Figs

After taking a sabbatical last year, Madam Fig Tree is proving her worth again, showering us with almost daily harvests of bountiful bowlfuls.

The biggest and prettiest ones get eaten fresh out of hand, skins and all. But the rest need to be preserved, sometimes by drying...

...Sometimes by canning.

Fig Jam boiling with sugar, spice, lemon juice, and pectin

Whole figs preserved in heavy syrup

Pint jars of canned fig preserves

I also like to add some halved figs onto platters of roasted meat or fish:

Roasting carmelizes them, and a drizzle of Balsamic vinegar adds that hint of acid bringing the sweetness into sharp focus.

Roasted tritip platter with summer squash and figs

I also learned how to add chopped figs to baked goods. I happened to have some leftover nuked sweet potatoes, and looked up a recipe for Sweet Potato and Fig Cake:

Fig cake served with baked tilapia and golden rice

A double batch uses up more figs and fresh eggs, winning!

When you have so many fruits that must be processed at once, you tend to get creative. Here, I added some minced figs to a panful of chuck roast and diced vegetables. It made the gravy thick and complex.

Beef in vegetable and fig gravy with rice and roasted carrots