Figs In Syrup

Young figs, preserved whole in Antakya

The figs are picked young, while they are still firm enough to hold together, from growers near Antakya. They are quick-pickled first — the step that sets the flesh — then cooked and preserved in a clove-spiced syrup, whole, so each one comes out of the jar intact with a gentle crunch still in it. Fig preserves made at home take the better part of a day and a lot of watching the pot. This jar is that day’s work, already done.

How to use

• Spoon them over thick yogurt with some of the syrup — dessert in about a minute.
• Put them on a cheese board next to something sharp and salty: aged kaşar, blue, or a firm goat cheese.
• Serve them at breakfast alongside cheese, olives, and bread, the way they are eaten in Antakya.
• Use the syrup on its own over ice cream, pancakes, or a plain cake.

What’s inside