Name: How To Freeze Whole Figs
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: figs

Learn how to freeze whole figs for months and months and months…yes, the photos you see here are from the figs I froze at the end of last summer and I shot the photo in June this summer. So they made it to like what? 10 months? Pretty great. Plus, I’ll show you how I use the frozen figs.

Freezing figs is not a complicated process at all, it’s actually ridiculously easy. So if you’ve already made the healthy fig bars and some fig jam to fill crepes like these, but still have figs to use up, send them to the North Pole, aka your freezer.

How We Freeze Whole Figs

The way we freeze figs probably isn’t the way everyone freezes figs, but when you have a tree with lots of fruit you need to act fast. I don’t have time to cut and flash freeze them, I just freeze figs whole. So the method is as follows:

Pick ripe figs and wash thoroughly in a large bowl filled with water
Go through and make sure there are no spoiled fruits. If there are, you can use them for cooking – in dessert recipes or to make jam.
Place the figs on a drying rack (I use the dish drying rack) for about 40-60 minutes to let them dry completely. You want them dry, because if that extra water freezes, the figs will stick to each other. And you don’t want that.
Once dry, fill freezer bags, but do not pack too tightly, by squishing the fruits. You want them to preserve their shape. Keep the figs in a row so that you can lay the filled bags flat in the freezer, stacking them on top of each other.
Once you’ve filled the bag, roll the ends as if trying to squeeze out the extra air – because that’s exactly what you’re trying to do. It’s almost like vacuum sealing – it’s important, because the air can oxidize the fruit, causing it to spoil faster. So remove the air the best you can without harming any figs in the process.
Close the freezer bag and place it in the freezer, then repeat for as many figs as you have.

And that’s it! The figs will freeze for a few months.

Learn how to freeze whole figs for many many months - it is super easy! You can use the frozen figs in smoothies, to make jam or in baking recipes! — my attempt at fig ice cream – still missing something!

How To Use Frozen Figs

You can use the frozen figs to make smoothies, jam or in baking recipes.

I like to use a few at a time in my green smoothies with some kale or spinach, flax seeds and water. It is not the most delicious smoothie, but I feel very healthy drinking it!

Use up the fresh figs you've got by making these tasty flourless healthy fig bars with oats, they're a great nutritious dessert idea! — my fig bars – perfect way to use fresh or frozen figs!

For baking recipes, it’s better to thaw the figs first and pre-cook them, since they will release extra water and can make the recipe soggy. So defrost first.

I also made some fig ice cream a while ago using figs and ice cream, but it needed something, so I don’t have a good recipe for that yet.

Are Figs Healthy

Well, being one of the oldest plants known to mankind, enjoyed for about six thousand years…I’d say their safety has been extensively tested. Figs are rich in several healing bioactive compounds like carotenoids, anthocyanins, polyphenols, vitamins, minerals and fiber. Beyond that people have been using them for centuries to help with gastrointestinal, respiratory and inflammatory conditions (source), so who am I to deny their amazing health benefits.

Conclusion

I hope freezing helps you deal with the figs you have – if you have a tree in your backyard, you know what I mean. And did you know you can use the fig leaves too. You can – for tea and other things. Having a garden teaches you so many new things.