Why it works: Fig and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 16% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,241 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓
Fig Preserves
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the syrup
Blanch the figs in boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes.
In a large pot, combine the sugar and water to make a syrup.
Cook and cool
Add the blanched figs to the syrup and cook until the temperature reaches 220°F (104°C).
Cool the fig preserves rapidly to prevent darkening and scorching.
To keep the figs submerged while cooling, place heavy tin covers with holes on top of them.
If needed, add clean stones for extra weight or use additional pans filled with water.
Do not use the covers until the figs have cooled to about 160°F (71°C).
Process
Process the figs for 40 minutes at 170°F (77°C).
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Fig + sugartop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,241 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Figs
- Provide the fruit body and flavor that the preserve is built around.
- Granulated sugar
- Sweetens the preserve and, at high concentration, helps preserve it and thicken the syrup.
The step that matters
Cook the figs to 220°F (104°C). Sugar syrup sets and preserves the fruit only at a high enough concentration. Stopping early leaves a thin, spoilage-prone syrup, while overcooking makes it tough and candy-like.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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