Figs hang heavy in the light, dark and sticky folds of skin. I think of my Nana’s Sicilian mother, long before me, standing beneath the low-branching trees of her orchard, the scent of earth and ripening fruit thick in the air. Her steady fingers plucked the ripest figs at the very tip of the branches. The flesh was soft, sweet, sudden, and honeyed, leaving a sticky residue on her fingers, to be licked away in delight. I see her peeling one, slicing it into halves, savouring the bounty, the world narrowing down to just that.
In the American Midwest, when I was a child, I would watch my Nana select the ripest ones off the shelf, bring them home, and slice them in a more restrained way than her mother—with a knife. Leaning over the counter, tasting, laughing, and with sticky fingers, I’d try to pluck them from her grasp much to her dismay.
Now, I think of figs as those who came before me. Each one a possibility, a life path inherited from the hands that shaped me. Just as Sylvia Plath wrote it; bursting with choices, I feel the same hesitation: which to take, which to leave, which to let rot.
Even so, beyond the weight of human choice, they are disproportionately important sources of food for wildlife and humans alike. I imagine a canopy alive with movement, the flitting wings of birds, the quiet rustle of small animals, all drawn to the very same fig. And yet, for all this abundance, figs are gentle: they are naturally alkaline-forming and plentiful and just so happen to be ripe this month in Ireland.
Here is what you can do with them.
Homemade Fig Jam
Ingredients:
500g fresh figs, destemmed, washed, and quartered
Approx 100g granulated sugar, adjusted to taste
Juice of 1 lemon (30g / 2 tbsp)
50ml of water
Instructions:
Place the quartered figs in a medium saucepan.
Sprinkle the sugar over the fruit and squeeze in the lemon juice. Gently stir and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.
Place the saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until sugar dissolves and be careful not to burn it.
Begin mashing the figs lightly as they soften with heat. Ideally with a potato masher or wooden spoon. Mash until it is at your desired consistency.
Reduce heat and let it continue to simmer for 10 minutes, mashing/stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens.
Let cool completely and pour into sterilised jars.
To-Note:
Can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
The riper the fig, the sweeter the jam.
Creamy Fig Cheese Spread
Ingredients:
120g cream cheese, softened
50g of goat’s cheese (or cheese of choice)
Dash of olive oil
2-3 tablespoons of fig jam
Pinch of salt
Pinch of black pepper
Optional: drizzle honey or sprinkle of chopped nuts for garnish
Instructions:
Set out the cream cheese and goat cheese for 15-20 minutes or until soft at room temperature.
In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese and goat cheese. Use a fork or small whisk to blend until smooth and creamy. Add a dash of olive oil to help if needed.
Add 2 tablespoons of fig jams. Fold carefully to distribute the jam without fully blending it.
Add a pinch of salt and pepper to your liking.
Drizzle honey or sprinkle with nuts if you please.
To-Note:
Can be stored in the fridge for up to three days.
To be paired with toast, in yoghurt, or alongside crackers making everyday eating more ample.
