Cape Malay Preserved Green Figs in syrup (Boom Vye Konfyt)
Cape Malay Preserved Green Figs in syrup (Boom Vye Konfyt)
Cape Malay Preserved Green Figs in syrup are so versatile and can be eaten as a sweet at afternoon tea, as part of a cheese platter or used in place of roasted figs with breakfast and appetizers.
Equipment
Ingredients
Preparing the figs
- 2 litres water approximately 8 cups
- 38 grams salt approximately 30 ml or 2 tablespoons
- 1.125 kg unripe green figs
Boiling the figs
- 3 litres water approximately 12 cups
- 5 ml bicarbonate of soda approximately 1 teaspoon
- 28.5 grams salt approximately 22.5 ml or 1.5 tablespoons
Sugar syrup
- 1.2 kg fine granulated sugar approximately 1500 ml or 6 cups
- 500 ml water approximately 2 cups
- 30 ml lemon juice approximately 2 tablespoons
Instructions
Preparing the figs
- Scrape the unripe figs and cut any brown tips off the stalks.
- Use a sharp knife to make crosswise slits at the stalk end of the fig. Alternately you may make the crosswise slit at the bottom end of each fig.
- Prick the figs and place in a deep bowl with 2 liters of water and the 38 grams salt. Move the figs around to distribute the salt in the water.
- Let the figs soak for a minimum of 9 hours or overnight.
- After the soaking time has elapsed you will notice that some of the figs may have a sticky oily residue. Brush this off with a new soft scouring sponge.
Boiling the figs
- Rinse the figs and place into a deep pot with at least 4 liters capacity.
- Add the 5 ml bicarbonate of soda and 28.5 grams salt and mix into the water to distribute it evenly.
- Bring the pot to the boil on medium high and boil for 30 minutes or until soft. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface.
- When the figs are soft, pour off the water and put the figs back into a clean pot.
Preserving in sugar syrup
- Add the sugar and 200 ml of the water to the figs and return to the heat on the lowest setting.
- Stir occasionally and wipe down the sides with a clean spatula or silicone brush to ensure that the sugar does not crystallize on the sides of the pot.
- The sugar will dissolve slowly and it requires a stir every 15 minutes to ensure even cooking.
- After the first hour you may add 100 ml of water, pouring it down the sides of the pot.
- Continue stirring every 20 minutes without breaking the figs.
- After the second hour you can add the other 100 ml water and the lemon juice.
- By now you will see that the figs are becoming darker and more translucent and the syrup will start to thicken.
- After the third hour add the last 100 ml of water and cook for a further 15 minutes or until the figs are completely translucent.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes before decanting into sterilized preserving jars.
Notes
For figs with a hint of warming spice add the following to the sugar and water (step 1 of preserving in sugar syrup):
- 3 cloves
- 2 cm of root ginger sliced into rounds
- 2 sticks cinnamon
Nutrition
Calories: 228kcalCarbohydrates: 59gProtein: 0gFat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1132mgPotassium: 108mgFiber: 1gSugar: 57gVitamin A: 65IUVitamin C: 1.4mgCalcium: 18mgIron: 0.2mg
Disclaimer: Nutritional information for the recipe is an approximation and varies according to the ingredients and products used.
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