Caramelized Green Baby Figs

Preface:

1. Unfortunately, despite the sun, some figs are no longer ripe in our country. But since I heard something about caramelized green figs on television some time ago, I was bothered and did some research. I also read that in Turkey but also in southern countries like Spain these figs are often prepared and consumed in this way. It’s the first attempt in my “alchemist’s kitchen”, but I still dare to present the recipe to you. It is only calculated for a very small amount for the time being, but it can easily be multiplied. With 1 kg figs, all other ingredients would be x 4. The teaspoon of baking soda should then be “coated”.
2. Gloves are recommended during preparation. A white liquid emerges from the small, short stems of the unripe (!) Figs. It’s “poisonous”, but don’t panic, that doesn’t mean “life-threatening”. However, the juice can cause severe to less severe irritation in sensitive skin types, especially if the skin has already been damaged. But it also depends on the amount and length of the action. If you have a latex allergy, skin reactions can also occur. But here the amount and length are irrelevant. The mucous membranes of the eyes and mouth are particularly sensitive.
3. So don’t be afraid of preparing it and consuming it later. The only thing that is a bit “annoying” is the problem that the juice leaves traces on the pot the first time it is cooked. It settles as a rubbery ring on the wall of the pot, and you have to rub it off pretty hard to get it off again. Nevertheless, none of this scared me off and I can live with the result ….. ;-)))

Preparation:

1. Put on gloves, wash figs and prick several times with a pointed object. Put enough water in a saucepan to cover the figs. Add baking soda and cook the figs for approx. 15 minutes until they are soft. Lift out of the water and cool in a bowl with fresh, cold water.
2. Pour away the previous cooking water and thoroughly clean the pot (see foreword). Pour fresh water into the pot, boil the figs again for 15 minutes and then cool again in cold water. Thoroughly clean the pot again.
3. Then let 125 ml of water and 375 g of sugar simmer for approx. 5 minutes in a slightly syrupy (but not brown) manner (you may need to color a little green, but this is not essential). Add the cold figs and simmer gently for another 15 minutes. The syrup gets thicker. Then take the pot off the stove to cool down and let everything steep at room temperature for at least 12 hours.
4. Then carefully lift the figs out of the syrup (can stick a little because the syrup is already quite tough) and store temporarily. Put the saucepan with the syrup back on the stove and let everything become more liquid over a mild heat. Add the lemon peel and spices and let everything boil over a medium heat for about 30 minutes until the mixture has thickened. Then immediately add lemon juice, liqueur and figs, leave on the stove for another 1 minute and then immediately pour into a screw-top jar that has been sterilized with boiling water. They hold like syrup or jam and don’t need to be in the refrigerator.
5. If you like it more oriental, you can add 1 star anise. The above-mentioned amount of ingredients resulted in a normal screw-top jar.