Pickled figs with fennel recipe

This pickled fig with fennel recipe is so simple and is a delight to eat if you are a person who likes both figs and a hint of fennel. I dedicate this recipe to my inspirational telemark ski friend Doug, who like me is a bit of a fennel-freak. It is has a nice acid tang, but it could equally be called a jam and is excellent on toast

Its acidity makes it have better-keeping qualities than fig jam once opened. However, it tastes so good that it gets used up so quickly that this once-opened keeping property is not to put to a fair test.

Mothy The Elder

Introduction to pickled figs and fennel

Fig season is coming to an end around my way and I have had Covid-time and figs in abundance to experiment with my new pickled fig recipe. My latest recipe includes Fennel and I think it makes a superb combination with the fig flavour. This combines favourably with the lingering sharp tang of the acetic acid of vinegar that also can improve the safety and keeping qualities of the conserve.

Fig and Fennel are very particular tastes that will not please all. However, the Fennel can be left out and other flavours such as ginger and spices can be added to the recipe. You have my blessing, and the product will still be superior in both flavour and keeping qualities.

Even if you hate figs, there may be valuable lessons on making safe conserves from low acidity fruits, if you read on.

My recipe with thanks is based a little on Nittygrittylife’s recipe and I agree with her that this food is not exactly a health-tonic. However, a little indulgence of occasional sweet things makes life more complete and the rest of a healthy diet much easier to stick to.

Another approach to pickling figs

From my background in chemistry and physics, I never like to add water then go through the effort of boiling it off. It takes time and a lot of energy. So my recipes usually start with microwave stewing of the diced fruit to bring the water or juice out from the fruit. Then I transfer the stewed fruit and liquid to the large open jam-pan for the completion of the conventional cooking with sugar. I add the vinegar late in the cooking process to preserve more of it’s tangy taste. I consider the important parts of the cooking process to be:

• Killing the wild yeast and other microbes, that abound on fruit, so that the conserve keeps well,
• Hydrolysing or splitting the cane sugar into glucose and fructose that is hastened by the acidity of the vinegar,
• Evaporating off water to get high sugar content for good preservation by osmotic pressure and desired consistency.
• Lastly, the evaporation when coupled with high dissolved sugar content lifts the boiling point beyond 100C and further enhances the thermal destruction of any living organisms in the product, and
• Importantly, if the transfer is done quickly to the jars, while very hot, and the jars are inverted, it will wet sanitise the storage containers and the lid area .

I am sorry that the introductory notes were so long and there is more to come. However, the recipe is now so short, that it compensates and hardly deserves the name recipe.

[Add a photo of premium early season figs]

[Add a photo of my fig tree in a suspended bird proof cage with a pig ficking climbing frame. “I think that this shows that may be a Fickled Pig Fanatic.”]

The fig and fennel pickle recipe

• 1 kg fig cubes (I make the cubes of a size that are easy to serve on biscuits as it is easyto do at this stage),
• 1 kg raw sugar,
• 0.37kg vinegar
• 1 Tspn of freshly ground fennel seeds+
• 2 Tspn of fennel seeds,*
• 1 Tspn of olive oil as an antifoam agent
• no need to add water

* Ground fennel seeds give a nice fennel background flavour. As with most spices, freshly ground has a superior flavour to pre ground fennel.

+ The whole fennel seeds give little strong fennel hits in the pickle as well as a background flavour. So mix and match according to your spirit of adventure.

Other recipe quantities and units

Here is a little table to estimate your recipe quantities for other than 1.00kg of fruit (sorry I have not learnt how to embed a spreadsheet into a post yet). Just add or subtract the quantity in two or more columns to match your fig cube quantity

For people from across either big ditch. Just read the table as lb and halve the fennel seed quantities. After all, it is just bucket-chemistry.

The French have a lot to answer for, including The sinking of The Rainbow Warrior, but at least their units don’t suck!

Mothy The Elder

Fig (kg)	1.00	0.50	0.40	0.30	0.20	0.10
Sugar (kg)	1.00	0.50	0.40	0.30	0.20	0.10
Vinegar (kg)*	0.37	0.19	0.15	0.11	0.07	0.04
Fenel seeds (Tsp)	1.0	0.5	0.4	0.3	0.2	0.1
Ground fennel  (Tsp)	2.0	1.0	0.8	0.6	0.4	0.2

* This quantity can be doubled if you like a stronger acidic hit.

All the above ingredients could be thrown in a pot and cooked until the desired texture is attained.

But wait there’s more……..

I have a more considered method that takes no more time. I already have explained that I don’t add water so there is no delay in boiling it off. I delay the addition of the sugar so that evaporation is quicker. I delay the addition of most of the vinegar so that the acetic acid is not boiled off so much and the pickled figs have a better acidic tang. “All this needs to be managed without getting sharks (burnt bits) in your pickle.”

The fig conserve ‘master class’

You probably have noticed that fig jam is prone to growing pesty moulds on top when in use at the family table. “This is probably why it is not a commonly available commercial jam and remains a love/hate conserve in the domain of the passionate amateur.”

The natural lack of acidity of figs contributes to this problem. The acidity of this recipe counteracts this ‘keeping problem’ before and particularly after the seal is broken.

This mould problem happens when the jar contents are exposed to……..let’s say other family members who do not have an appreciation of good microbiological practice. For this reason, with the un acidified product, it was best to use small jars for fig conserves. The acidity of this current recipe largely compensates for any ‘bad table behaviour’ of both those people and the conserve. We can all enjoy it in peace and harmony, even if there are two FIGJAMs at the table.

Mothy The Kitchen Zelot

So far, encouragingly, I have never had a single mould problem with pickled figs. I have observed similar with pickled figs made by other fickle pig enthusiasts. However, another explanation could be that they taste so good that they are eaten so quickly that they have another type of poor ‘keeping quality’, just like chocolate does?

Seriously, the acidity of acetic acid in vinegar is a healthy, safe and effective aid to the preservation of foods, particularly for those that are not naturally acidic or fermented to be so. I place a similar emphasis on food acidity when making my DIY backpacking meals.

Conclusion to the prattle

I don’t know if you are coming to this conclusion. After discovering this recipe, I will only make pickled fig conserves (instead of fig jam), even if I don’t add the fennel and spices to all batches. “In that case, I will just call it fig jam with superior flavour and safer keeping qualities.”

Now let’s get figing

1. Wash ripe figs, cut off the little stem and any damaged bits and dice into chunks that will suit your serving technique.
2. Microwave the fig chunks and the olive oil in a 3 times oversized casserole bowl (to prevent a boil over) until they boil for some time, go tender and release a lot of juice.
3. Transfer the cubes and juice into an oversized jam pan(to encourage evaporation).
4. When the mixture thickens add all the sugar and ~1/4 of the vinegar (speeds the hydrolysis of the sugar) and boil until thick once more.
5. Add 1/2 of the vinegar and boil till thick once more.
6. At this stage the batch can be split into ‘no-spices’ and spices portions and the spices can be added as appropriate.
7. Add the remaining vinegar and continue cooking until the desired thickness is reached.
8. Transfer quickly to screwcap jars at the final high temperature. Then immediately invert the jars so that the upper jar and inner lid surface are wet sterilized by the hot conserve.

Just when you thought that I had forgotten, here is my posts obligatory ode to fig jam or is it pickles?

To add acetic acid or not, do I really give a damn,
Yes, if it's a pickle and not just a mould prone jam,
The acid gives it a tasty kick and the mould the flick,
Twill be eaten with relish if named pickles or FIGJAM.

Enjoy and conserve safely.

Tim

If you are into pickling and ginger you may also like my pickled ginger and ginger sip recipe that is inspired by visits to Japan.

Home pickled ginger and ginger sip

Also you may be interested in my simple, cheap and safe fruit bottling technique using twist cap jars.

Preserved Feijoa flesh

If you are really off the planet, you might like my gourmet caramelized kelp from beach-cast Kelp and it is also inspired by visits to Japan.

If you are into food dehydration I have post on the Excalibur food dehydrator which is robust and effective food dryer.

For an index of my recipes, please see my pictorial gallery:

Other food ideas gallery index