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Location:
Corvallis, Oregon
Providing
the Co-op since the 1999 with: Figs
Farming
practices: Growing less than $5000 organically
Acreage
farmed: One tree
Crew
size: Liliana and some tall people
Farming
since: 1999
Products
used to control weeds, pests and pathogens: No products
are used on the fig tree
"I
became a fig farmer by accident. My good friend from OSU,
Dr. Robert Stebbins, gave me a fig tree many years ago. He
knew that I was in love with figs. After many years, I had
too many figs to eat alone. I decided to share my wealth of
figs but needed some help getting them off the tree. I enlisted
the aid of tall people to help me get the higher figs off
the tree. I pay my helping hands with a delicious dinner or
good Baklava (look for my Baklava at the Co-op. I often sample
it at the North Store)."
Preparation
and Use of Figs
To
Eat Fresh. Remove the stem ends and halve, chop or slice,
according to your recipe. Because their skins are edible,
figs do not require peeling. Figs are a favorite breakfast
fruit, and make a delightfully sweet addition to appetizers,
salads or desserts. For variety, add chopped figs to your
favorite bread or rice-stuffing recipe. Because figs are high
in pectin, they are ideal for jams and preserves.
To Dry Figs. Sort, wash and remove stems. Halve or slice figs
into uniform pieces. They may be pretreated if they are to
be sundried by sulfuring them for 1 hour to discourage insects.
Place figs skin side down on trays in the sun. Cover with
clear protective sheeting. Bring fruit inside at night. Drying
time is 1-3 days depending on size of fruit pieces and weather.
Figs are dry when they feel leathery and show no pockets of
moisture. Store in airtight containers. They may also be dried
in the oven at a very low temperature with the door open,
or in an electric dehydrator.
To
Make Jam. Mash figs with a potato masher. Add lemon juice.
Cook slowly to avoid scorching. Using a candy thermometer,
heat until it reaches 220°F. Pack into clean canning jars,
leaving ½ inch headspace. Process in boiling water
bath for 15 minutes.
Stuffed
Figs Appetizer
4 ounces Neufchatel cheese
¼ teaspoon paprika
Skim or lowfat milk to moisten
12 large figs
¹/3 cup nuts, chopped
Lettuce
¹/3 cup celery, chopped
Soften
cheese with milk to make a paste. Add nuts, celery and paprika.
Mix, remove stems from figs. Cut in half, lengthwise. Scoop
out some of inside and fill cavity with cheese mixture. Arrange
3 stuffed figs on lettuce and serve cold as an appetizer or
salad. Yields 4 servings.
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Liliana
Egri