Spoon sweets, offered as a symbol of warm hospitality, hold a special place in the Greek culinary heritage. Among the most popular is the fig spoon sweet, a true embodiment of the rich flavors and traditions of Greece. Made from fresh, unripe figs, harvested in May from the wild fig trees, this dessert takes us with every spoonful to the heart of the Greek countryside, where time slows down and the treasures that nature generously offers us are highlighted...
Medium
Total: approx. 60 min
1 kg
Ingredients
- 1 kg wild figs
- 2 kg granulated sugar
- 800 g water
- 3 + 3 tbsp of lemon juice
- Blanched and lightly roasted almonds
- Cloves
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 1 tbsp citric acid/ sour salt dissolved in 2 tbsp water
How to
- Wash the figs well.
- With a sharp knife, cut the stem a little and remove the hard mark on the underside.
- Put them in a pot with water and boil them for 10 min. Remove the foam if necessary. Strain them and rinse them with cold water. Boil them again for another 10 min. Strain and rinse them again with cold water.
- Put the figs in the pot or in a big bowl with cold water and 3 tbsp of lemon juice. Leave them for about 12 hours.
- Strain them and press them gently again and again, so that they will not have any more water inside them.
- Insert an almond and put a clove on each fig.
- Put the water (800 g) and the sugar in a big pot over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved and boil for 10 min.
- Add the figs and some extra cloves and continue boiling for another 10 min. Let them stand in the syrup for 12 – 14 hours.
- Boil them again over medium heat for about 20 min or until it sets. At the end of boiling, add the lemon juice (3 tbsp).
- During the final boil, add the lemon juice first, then the citric acid, and gently swirl the pot in circular motions.
- Your homemade wild fig spoon sweet is ready! Store in clean, sterile jars.
Note from Greek jar:
In older recipes, including my grandmother’s, the outer peel of the figs was usually removed. However, many of us prefer to keep it on, as it enhances both the flavor and texture, giving wild fig spoon sweet an even more distinctive character.
Depending on how much syrup the figs absorb, you may need to prepare a little extra so the dessert remains well covered.
According to the old traditional recipe, blue vitriol was used to give the figs a brighter and more vibrant green color, after which they were rinsed very thoroughly. Personally, I prefer to avoid using it and add only a little citric acid, which helps subtly preserve the color, allowing the figs to retain their natural appearance, even if it is less vivid.