Brown turkey figs have an unattractive name, but the fruit is delicate and sweet. One large fig has 47 calories, 2 g of fiber, 22 mg of calcium, 148 mg of potassium and 91 IU of vitamin A. Much of the brown turkey fig crop in the United States is sold as dried figs, but you can often find the fresh figs in your market's produce section in the late summer. Choose plump, soft, undamaged figs. Store them in the refrigerator and eat them within three days, or freeze them up to six months.
Salad
Step 1
Rinse and dry the figs. Cut them in halves or wedges.
Step 2
Arrange the figs on a serving plate covered with fresh fig leaves.
Step 3
Add fresh grapes, cubes of brie or blue cheese, walnut halves and candied lemon peel strips around the figs.
Dessert
Step 1
Rinse and dry the figs. Cut them in wedges.
Step 2
Drizzle the figs with honey.
Step 3
Serve the figs with ice cream or mascarpone cheese.
Baked Figs
Step 1
Rinse the figs and dry them. Stand them up in a non-stick baking dish. Sprinkle them with sugar and add water to a depth of 1/4 inch.
Step 2
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Step 3
Bake the figs for 20 minutes, until they are hot and soft. Serve with ice cream, or as a side dish to a roast turkey or roast beef.
Fresh Figs Preserved in a Wine Syrup
Step 1
Wash the canning jar, lid and ring in hot soapy water and rinse in boiling water. Drain the jar, lid and ring on a clean kitchen towel.
Step 2
Rinse the figs and let them drain.
Step 3
Combine the red wine, lemon peel, lemon juice and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring it to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the figs and simmer them for 10 minutes.
Step 4
Use a ladle to put the figs in the canning jar. Bring the red wine syrup to a boil again and pour it over the figs, leaving 1/2 inch of space at the top of the jar.
Step 5
Wipe the rim of the jar with a damp cloth. Seal it with the lid and ring. Let the jar cool and then store it in your refrigerator. It will keep for several months in the refrigerator.
Tips and Warnings
- Rinse fresh brown turkey figs and eat them fresh, like grapes or berries. Use the figs preserved in red wine syrup as a side dish for roast beef or roast turkey, as you would use cranberry sauce. Alternatively, serve the red wine figs as a dessert with ice cream or pound cake.
- If you are allergic to latex, you may be allergic to the white sap of fresh figs. Ask your doctor whether eating or handling figs is safe for you.
Things You'll Need
- For salad:
- Figs
- Grapes
- Brie or blue cheese
- Walnut halves
- Candied lemon peel
- For dessert:
- Honey
- Ice cream
- Mascarpone cheese
- For baked figs:
- Non-stick baking dish
- Sugar
- Water
- For figs preserved in red wine syrup:
- 1-quart canning jar
- Canning lid and ring to fit the jar
- Boiling water
- Kitchen towel
- Large saucepan
- 3 cups red wine
- 3-inch strip of lemon peel, yellow part only
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 1/2 cups of sugar
- Ladle
- Damp cloth
Member Comments