Soaking dried fruits in vinegars concentrates their flavor and softens the fruit. Pickled fruits are great tossed in salads or served with creamy cashew cheese. For a delicious variation, try using dried apricots and white balsamic.
Steps
1
Preparing the Figs
Ingredients
1 cup dried figs, stems removed
1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
pinch of sea salt
freshly–ground black pepper, to taste
To cook the figs, in small sauce pan, add all ingredients.
Using medium heat, bring to a simmer and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Allow to pickle for approximately 2 hours at room temperature.
Note: To speed up the process, you can heat the vinegar and simmer the figs for a few minutes to help them to absorb the balsamic vinegar.
If you want to keep this dish raw, plan ahead and soak figs in the balsamic vinegar and other ingredients in a small bowl for at least a day at room temperature. This will allow them ample time to pickle.
The figs will keep for up to a month in the refrigerator.
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Hi Cheryl, I haven't tried to do this with fresh figs, but if I were to attempt it, I would heat all the ingredients except the figs, and just pour the heated liquid over the fresh figs. It is probably better to also use slightly firmer figs as opposed to really ripe ones. Try it out and let us know how it goes! Cheers, Sandy
Hello Danielle: thanks for writing. The skin of a dried date is much more tender than the skin of a dried fig. The dried date has a tendency to breakdown from the vinegar in the recipe--this is why dates make such good fruit paste because they break down easily. Also, when vinegar is added to the dates--sugar is removed--and a paste develops. It's the fig skin that holds up well, my suggestion is to stick with the figs. Great question. I buy my dates from a date farm in California. Joan Smith is the owner--here is her website should you have any further questions: https://ranchomeladuco.com/ Thanks, again for writing. Char
Sandy S •Hi Cheryl, I haven't tried to do this with fresh figs, but if I were to attempt it, I would heat all the ingredients except the figs, and just pour the heated liquid over the fresh figs. It is probably better to also use slightly firmer figs as opposed to really ripe ones. Try it out and let us know how it goes! Cheers, Sandy
Char N • Rouxbe Staff •Hello Danielle: thanks for writing. The skin of a dried date is much more tender than the skin of a dried fig. The dried date has a tendency to breakdown from the vinegar in the recipe--this is why dates make such good fruit paste because they break down easily. Also, when vinegar is added to the dates--sugar is removed--and a paste develops. It's the fig skin that holds up well, my suggestion is to stick with the figs. Great question. I buy my dates from a date farm in California. Joan Smith is the owner--here is her website should you have any further questions: https://ranchomeladuco.com/ Thanks, again for writing. Char