What To Do With Fresh Figs - Enjoy Them Now But Freeze Some For Later! Plus Recipe For Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Figs are high in dietary fiber, potassium,
magnesium, and vitamin B6.

Check out my eBook, Health Begins in the Kitchen.
Follow Foods For Long Life on Facebook.

It's Time for Figs
Our neighbor's fig tree and our fig tree are both presenting us with heavenly sweet figs. Unfortunately figs are so perishable and have such a short season, most people have very little time to enjoy this magnificent fruit.

A few years ago we planted a Janice Seedless Kadota fig. It's a fairly new breed of white fig that is exceptionally sweet and has very few seeds. It had a slow start because we decided to move it to a new location,  but it is now starting to produce very lovely figs.

Janice Seedless Kadota Fig

Ways to Enjoy Fresh Figs
Besides popping them in your mouth, diced figs are wonderful in a morning fruit salad or sliced and tossed in a green salad.

Add diced figs to your breakfast fruit salad.

Add sliced figs to your green salads.

They also make a wonderful fig balsamic vinaigrette.

Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/2 packed cup chopped, ripe figs
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons cold-pressed hemp oil
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup cold filtered water, or more
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place all ingredients into a high-speed blender, such as a Vitamix, and blend until smooth. If it's too thick, add more water or some almond milk.

Fig balsamic vinaigrette.

Freeze Some to make Smoothes and Soups All Year Long
One of my favorite things to do with figs is to add them to my smoothies. They thicken and sweeten any smoothie recipe, like this Raw Vegan and Gluten-Free Apple Pear Green Smoothie.

Or use them to add sweetness to a blended soup recipe, like this Raw Vegan and Gluten-Free Butternut Squash Soup with Fresh Figs.

In order to enjoy figs in your smoothies or soups all year long, vacuum seal them.
First, wash and dry the figs. Cut them in half and place them on a cookie sheet.
Place in the freezer.

Freeze on cookie sheet

Once the figs are frozen, vacuum seal them using a product like FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer. Our figs last in the freezer for an entire year when properly sealed. And if your fig tree is as prolific as most, you'll have plenty to save!

Food Saver Vacuum Sealer