Fresh Fig Syrup

Store in a sealed glass bottle in the refrigerator for up to three weeks. The pectin in fresh figs can cause the syrup to thicken further on refrigeration — this is normal. Keep refrigerated.

Black Mission figs and Brown Turkey figs both produce excellent syrups with deep, jam-like character; Calimyrna figs produce a lighter, more honey-forward syrup. Ripe or even slightly overripe figs are ideal — they have the most concentrated sugars and flavor. Simmering the figs with a small amount of lemon juice prevents excessive browning and preserves the brightness of the syrup. Press the softened figs firmly through a fine-mesh strainer — the natural pectin in the fruit gives the finished syrup a rounded, velvety body. Dried figs (using two cups) work well year-round and produce an even more concentrated, caramel-edged syrup.

Figs (Ficus carica) are among the oldest cultivated fruits in human history, with evidence of fig cultivation in the Jordan Valley dating to approximately 9400–9200 BCE — predating cereal grain cultivation and making figs potentially one of the first plants deliberately cultivated by humans. Figs are documented throughout ancient Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Greek, and Roman texts as a food, sweetener, and symbol of prosperity and peace. They spread from the Middle East throughout the Mediterranean via ancient trade routes and were brought to the Americas by Spanish missionaries in the 16th century — the Mission fig (now Black Mission fig), the most commonly used variety for syrup, takes its name from the California missions where it was first planted. In cocktail culture, fig syrup has been embraced by craft bartenders for its complex, honey-like sweetness with subtle jammy and earthy notes that pair particularly well with aged whiskey, Cognac, and rum.

A fig-balsamic syrup, made by adding one tablespoon of aged balsamic vinegar to the finished warm syrup, creates a complex, sweet-tart result excellent in stirred whiskey cocktails and Manhattans. A fig-cardamom syrup following the Persian culinary tradition of pairing figs with warm spice adds four cracked cardamom pods during simmering. For a fig-vanilla syrup suited to rum and Cognac cocktails, add one split vanilla bean to the simmering mixture.

No common top-eight allergens. Naturally vegan and gluten-free. Fig latex (from the unripe fruit and leaves) can cause contact dermatitis — use ripe figs and avoid prolonged skin contact with the sap.