Brown Turkey Fig Butter

 Beautiful Brown Turkey Figs

Some years ago, we got a Brown Turkey fig bush from Uncle Sterling. It's been growing well and every year, the fig crop has gotten larger. Last year, around Hurricane Irene time, we were picking figs ..... there were just enough fresh figs for eating. This year, there has been a bumper crop with so many figs that we have been having trouble keeping up with eating them up! Sunday was a rainy, not-so-nice day (a good day for cooking) and I noticed the crow family that frequently visits our yard, hanging around the fig bush .... a signal that there were ripe figs to be picked. I ended up with a nice bowl of ripe figs .... but what to do with them?

I got online and started looking for fig jam/jelly/preserve recipes. Since I am not into canning (yet) I was looking for something simple. One recipe stood out for its few ingredients and it sounded like something I could easily make .... I had the ingredients and enough figs ..... it also sounded delicious.  The recipe called for a pound of figs. Hmmmm. how many figs are a pound of figs if you don't have a scale? You can find anything on the internet these days:

1 pound fresh figs = 9 medium
1 pound fresh figs = 12 small
1 pound fresh figs = 2-2/3 cups chopped

 

The Brown Turkey figs were fairly large, but using the 'cup' measurement method, it really doesn't matter what size the figs are so the chopping began:

 

There were enough figs for me to make a double batch ..... the recipe is for a single batch. I changed the process ..... put the figs in a blender to get a smoother consistency and I cooked the figs a lot longer (about 45 minutes). I'll probably leave the water out next time and maybe reduce the sugar a bit .... you can always add it back in during the cooking process.  Since I was cooking and stirring a lot, it reminded me of making apple butter but without the copper pot .... so that's the name for this recipe ....

Brown Turkey Fig Butter

1 lb. of ripe figs (2-2/3 cups chopped fresh figs)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup sugar (you can play with the amount - maybe 2/3 or 3/4 cup if you like less sweet?)
1/3 cup white wine
1/4 cup water (the next time I make this, will withhold water unless I really need it)

• Chop figs (skins and all) and mix with the lemon juice and one cup sugar.
• Let the mixture sit for an hour or two.
• In a pot, add the wine and water to the fig/sugar lemon mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the sugar is all dissolved and the figs are soft, stirring frequently to avoid burning.
• With a slotted spoon, remove the figs, put them in a blender, then blend until smooth.
• Return the blended figs to the liquid in the pot and continue to simmer and stir until the 'butter' reaches a consistency you like. Let it cool and refrigerate.
• Makes about 2 cups.

Here's the result ..... and Oma (who was surprised that I had made fig butter) pronounced it "delicious"!!

The fig butter is SO good!!

Here's the wonderful Brown Turkey Fig bush growing in the front field.

The small figs are the second crop coming on  .... I know we had at least three crops, maybe four!

 

 

 

Note:  Aunt Helen told me that you can also make spiced, pickled figs .... like spiced peaches ...... another reason to start canning!