Fig Confit
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Recipe Overview
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Ingredients Needed
- 300g/10.6flozs marsala wine (or grape juice)
- 200g/7ozs white sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 slices lemon zest
- 500g/1.1lbs fresh figs, washed
Step-By-Step Cooking Instructions
Preparing the Marsala Syrup
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 120C/248F or 100C/212F fan forced. Take a small saucepan where the figs fit snugly and test size before adding marsala. Place the marsala with the sugar, cinnamon and lemon zest in the saucepan and place on the stovetop on medium heat. Bring to a boil and allow the sugar to melt. Remove from the heat.
Preparing and Cooking the Figs
Step 2 - While the syrup is boiling, take the fat end of a chopstick and insert it into the end of the figs into the hole pushing up until you almost reach the top. Place the figs in the syrup and pop the saucepan lid on top. Slide the saucepan into the oven and allow to cook for 1 hour.
Storing the Fig Confit
Step 3 - After 1 hour the figs should be soft, plump and heavy and feel like the most luscious, ripest figs. If the figs are really dry they may take a bit longer to reach this stage. Place the cooled figs and syrup in a sterile jar (don't add hot figs and syrup to a cold jar or it will crack).
Making the Jelly (Optional)
Step 4 - Optional once the figs are eaten: Place the remaining syrup on medium heat and gently simmer for 10-15 minutes and then cool and place in a jar. It should set to a lovely jellied consistency and is ideal for spreading on toast or for basting meats.
Storage Tips
Fig confit can last up to 2–3 weeks in the refrigerator when stored in a clean, airtight jar. If properly sealed in sterilised jars, it can last for several months in a cool, dark place. Once opened, always keep it refrigerated and use a clean spoon to prevent contamination (avoid licking the spoon!). Freezing can extend its shelf life for up to 6 months.
Other Fig Preserving Recipes Fig Jam, Mulled Wine Figs, Caramelised Fig & Honeycomb Ice Cream
Personal Note
Recently I went away with Monica for a weekend. We were staying on a property near a house selling figs. I absolutely love figs and excitedly pulled into their driveway. An unsmiling man appeared. "Do you have some figs?" I asked him.
"They're in the fridge!" he said defensively, "For hygiene!". I was surprised at the tone of his voice. Maybe I had disturbed him at the wrong time.
He laid down the plate of figs and I went to touch one. With figs you have to see if they're ripe and the only way is to touch them. You only need to touch them very lightly and it's not like you smack them or squish them. "You cannot touch them!!" he said angrily.
"How do I know that they're ripe?" I asked him.
"You cannot touch them because people will eat them!" he said.
"People wash fruit and vegetables," I pointed out. But truly, at that point I was out. I don't fund rudeness and I do not give rude people money. By this time Monica had pulled up and walked in and saw the tail end of the interaction. But Monica doesn't take sides and she wanted figs.
She bought some figs from him. Some were good, but some were dry and for the price she paid she should have been given 6 amazing figs. And if you get some less than amazing figs, I hope you'll try this fig confit recipe!
So tell me Dear Reader, do you confit much? Are you someone that doesn't fund rudeness? Or do you try to make someone like you if they are rude?