There are fruits that taste more like summer than any others. Figs, for instance: sweet, soft, a little cheeky, perfect eaten straight from the tree and even better when preserved, so you can carry a little piece of the season with you long after summer is gone. And when the trees are generous with their fruit, you naturally feel like stopping time, just for a while, and sealing it inside a jar.
CARAMELIZED FIGS
For 1 kg of figs
1 kg of firm, whole figs
350 g sugar
4 strips of untreated lemon zest
50 g water
25 g lemon juice
If the figs come straight from the tree and have not been treated, simply dust them gently; otherwise, wash them and dry them thoroughly. Arrange the figs whole in a pot and cover them with the sugar. Leave them to rest overnight. This is where the magic begins slowly, the sugar meets the figs’ natural juices, and the kitchen starts to smell like summer.
The next morning, add the lemon zest, water and lemon juice. Then comes the hardest ingredient of all: patience. The figs should cook over a very low heat for 4–5 hours. Every now and then, spoon the cooking juices over the figs, slowly and gently, allowing them to remain whole, beautiful and glossy. Little by little, the liquid reduces and becomes deeper and more intense, eventually turning into a fragrant amber caramel.
Remove the lemon zest and transfer the figs into sterilized jars, covering them with their caramel. Seal the jars tightly and turn them upside down. For safer home preservation, you can then boil the jars for about 20 minutes, keeping the water 2–3 cm above the lids, and allow them to cool completely in the water. Once cool, the lids should be firmly sealed and should not make a clicking sound when pressed.
And just like that, summer ends up in a jar. A little treasure to open later, to enjoy with a good cheese, spread over a slice of bread or simply straight from the jar with a teaspoon because some temptations simply don’t need good manners.
And if there is a perfect way to accompany this little end of summer ritual, it has to be a pair of Sentier Friulane light, effortless and naturally elegant. Slip them on while gathering the last figs, waiting for the caramel to work its magic, and savouring just a little more of that season which, let’s be honest, we wish would never end.
