How to Freeze Figs

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Learn how to freeze figs in just a few simple steps. Frozen figs are a great ingredient to have on hand for baked goods, jams, sauces, and more!

Oh figs… They lead the list of my favorite fruit. They are sweet and juicy and wild, and they are an amazing fruit to enjoy fresh or to bake with. However, I have to admit, that my first thing to do with figs that we don’t eat fresh is fig jam. It’s, hands down, my favorite jam of them all!

I’ve tried to plant a fig tree a few times in the past, but I was never successful. The little tree just doesn’t make it through the winter. I have a few tricks up my sleeve and will definitely try again this year and again and again if I need to because I absolutely need a fig tree on my farm!

How to Freeze Fresh Figs…

For now, though, we are enjoying figs from someone else’s tree. I was lucky enough to meet a neighbor at the farmer’s market a couple of years ago, who introduced me to the most amazing fig tree! That gigantic thing produces a ton of figs and its owner has no desire to deal with them all. “I’ll take care of them!” I said before the man was able to finish his sentence.

So now that we are fig rich, we get a tummy ache every summer from over-consumption of fresh figs and I make a ton of jam. The best thing is, I still have plenty of figs to freeze as well so I can use them later in the year. If you happen to come by a ton of figs, freezing them is really easy and quick and you can use them a million different ways later (more on how to use frozen figs below).

Table Of Contents

Ingredients…
Kitchen Tools…
Freezing Figs Step by Step…
How to Use Frozen Figs…
Frequently Asked Questions…
More Freezing Tutorials…

Ingredients…

Figs – any variety of figs will do. Just make sure that your figs are ripe.

Kitchen Tools…

Cutting board
Knife
Baking sheet
Parchment paper
Plastic food wrap
Ziplock bag or another freezer bag for storage.

Freezing Figs Step by Step…

Step one – prep the figs. Wash the figs, remove the stem, and either half or quarter the figs.

Step two – layer figs on a baking sheet. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set the figs in one layer on the baking sheet. Set them close together but so they aren’t touching each other. You can keep on layering figs, just make sure that you separate the layers with parchment paper.

Step three – freeze. Cover the baking sheet with plastic food wrap and set it in the freezer for 24 hours to freeze.

Step four – pack for storage. Remove the figs from the freezer and bag them. If you know what you are going to use them for, it’s sometimes easier to bag them in the correct portions, however, since we let them freeze without touching each other they won’t stick to one another in the bag and it should be easy for you to remove as many as you want when you are ready to use them. Don’t forget to label your bags!

How to Use Frozen Figs…

Fig sauce – is so easy to make and is great on pancakes, French crepe, French toast, cheesecakes, and even meat dishes! Check out this recipe that is made with maple syrup.
In baked goods – fig turnover, fig tart, fresh fig bars, and so many other desserts!
Use in jams – again, my favorite is just a simple low sugar fig jam, however, you can add figs into many other jams like pear jam, strawberry jam, blueberry jam and others.
Add to rice or meat – in the Middle Eastern cuisine, we use figs a lot when cooking meat. Many times you’ll find recipes that call for dry figs, however in many cases you can substitute them for fresh figs and the recipe will still turn out delicious.
In smoothies – any smoothie or a healthy protein shake will benefit from the addition of a few figs!

Frequently Asked Questions…

Do I need to thaw figs before using them?

No, in most dishes it’s actually better if you use them when they are still frozen.

How long will figs last in the freezer?

Frozen figs should last 12-18 months in the freezer.

Do I not need to treat the figs somehow before freezing them?

No! There is no need for blanching, a lemon water bath, or any other treatment when it comes to figs, you simply place them in the freezer.

Figs are very easy to freeze and are a great ingredient to have on hand throughout the year for both baking and cooking. They are a delicious fruit that we can’t really find in the grocery store so if you happen to come by a large number of them during the summer make sure to freeze some so you can enjoy them later!