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Preserved Figs

Preserved figs in sugar syrup, then canned.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 4 ingredients
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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 ↓

Preserved Figs

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the figs

  1. Select firm, sound figs and discard any overripe or broken ones.

  2. Sprinkle baking soda over the figs and cover with 6 quarts of boiling water. Let stand for 15 minutes, then drain and rinse the figs in two baths of cold water.

Make the syrup and cook

  1. While the figs drain, mix sugar and water in a pot and boil for 10 minutes, skimming off any foam.

  2. Gradually add the well-drained figs to the syrup, cooking rapidly until they are clear and tender, about 2 hours.

  3. Once the figs are transparent, carefully lift them out and place them in shallow pans.

  4. If the syrup is not thick enough (about 50°), continue boiling until it reaches the desired density.

  5. Pour the syrup over the figs, ensuring they are completely covered, and let stand overnight.

Pack and seal

  1. The next morning, pack the figs into sterilized jars with stems all facing upward.

  2. Fill each jar to overflowing with syrup testing at 55°.

  3. Cap, clamp, process, and seal the jars immediately.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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.

  1. Fig + sugartop 16% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked 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
Form the body of the preserve, becoming tender and translucent as they cook in the syrup.
Sugar
Sweetens the preserve and, once boiled into syrup, helps preserve the figs and give them body.
Baking soda
Raises the pH of the soaking water, which helps the figs soften and cook evenly.

The step that matters

Testing the syrup density. Syrup that is too thin will not hold enough sugar to preserve the figs well, while syrup that is too thick can crystallize or turn the figs tough. Checking the reading before packing matters for both safety and texture.

“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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