Dried figs
Figs are delicate fruits with a short shelf life and should be eaten as soon as possible after harvest.
That’s one of the reasons most figs exported from Turkey end up as dried figs or in products such as jam and marmalade.
Yellow figs, known as calimyrna, make up as much as 80% of Turkey’s dried fig production. When fresh and ripe, they are greenish-yellow in colour.
Dried figs have long been an important food in countries such as Greece and Turkey.
In the Nordic countries, dried or tinned figs have been eaten for a long time, while fresh figs only started appearing in recent years. Dried figs are enjoyed as a snack, but you can also use them in desserts or to add flavour to savoury cooking.
Why does the colour matter?
As figs dry, their colour changes to a yellowish brown – though of course there’s variation. Some are lighter and others a little darker. They often have darker spots, which is perfectly normal; usually it’s simply the colour of the flesh inside showing through the skin.
How figs are treated
In the past, treatments and chemicals were used to disinfect figs and bleach them so they would look more appealing.
Today this is prohibited. Even so, some producers still use various treatments to remove discolouration and make their figs more attractive on the market, as darker figs are considered lower in value. Chemical bleaching also stops worms from spoiling the fruit.
The traditional bleaching method
The traditional method uses bay leaves or thyme. These firm up the dried fig and keep worms away from the fruit. They do, however, add colour, giving the figs a slightly browner surface.
Salt, bay leaves and thyme are added to boiling water and left for a while until they release their essences. The figs are then placed in the water for a few minutes. Once taken out, they are left to dry in the sun for about a day, which completes the process.
The traditional method serves several purposes, but the most important is keeping worms from feasting on the fruit.
Untreated figs are a yellowish brown and can darken over time. Their deeper colour and spots are normal and a good sign that no treatment has been used. So don’t be put off by figs with some discolouration and spots.
So when you buy dried figs, keep an eye on the colour!
Here at Etnomat, our dried figs are untreated. Their lovely colour and characteristic spots show that no treatments or chemicals have been used. They’re larger than the ones you’ll find in ordinary supermarkets, with a wonderfully intense aroma and a honey-sweet taste – just the thing when a sweet craving strikes.
