Reap & Eat: Sun-Drying Figs

What do you do when you have a fig tree that just keeps on giving?  You dry them of course!  This is my first time ever sun-drying figs or anything for that matter {there seems to be a lot of firsts for me in the gardening world- this makes me happy}.  

Having no real contraption to sun dry figs in I made one on the fly using an old cabinet door that was lying around in the garage, a bake drying rack, a few bricks and an old window screen {like so, as seen below}, I know, totally janky right? But it works great! 

The bake drying rack is perfect for drying figs on since the rack has little feet keeping it off the ground, meaning air circulation underneath the figs as well as over {which I think may be of some importance}.  The bricks are quite short when laid on their sides and makes a great barrier to hold the screen up, both low bricks and window screen are great items to use to allow ample sun light through while keeping bugs, pests and birds away.

I'm drying out the figs all-natural, I simple pick them from the tree when looking ripe enough which means slightly soft to the touch and purple all around.  Some figs fall off the tree when they're ripe but mine do not, they just burst or to be more precise, open up- it's actually looks quite disturbing, the fruit peels open from the end and all the seeds are exposed {very alien-like}. Anyhow, I pick the fruit when they are just ripe, give them a quick wash and throw them into the sun-drying rack.  I put out the drying rack in the morning when the sun is out and take the rack in at sundown to protect the figs from the night time moisture {which I also think is probably important to do}.

So far I've been drying for about a week, the figs aren't quite done to be called sun-dried figs but I had the pleasure of eating one today anyway.  I cut the fig in half, the outer skin was quite dry, the layer of skin right underneath the outer layer was a little chewy and the inside was like jam.  I have to admit I was a little hesitant to eat it, I've never sun-dried anything before you see, but I ate it and it was... really REALLY good :)  It tasted of fig jam and the chewy skin was actually quite pleasant with the jammy filling.  Apparently you can eat the drying figs at any stage! < How awesome is that!