Dried Figs

Our Italian honey fig is doing very well this year. For some reason the birds have not attacked it like they usually do. Maybe it's the Italian Pointer, aka Bracco Italiano, guarding the tree!

Since the birds weren't getting the fruit and we were I decided to try and preserve at least some of it. I started with gathering the ripest fruit I could find, then giving it a good rinse.

Some sources suggest picking up the fruit that's fallen to the ground as those fruits will be the ripest and sweetest. That doesn't work in our household because all three dogs have been known to pick the fruit right off the tree! In other words there is no fruit on the ground!

Then I sliced the figs length wise and placed them around the dehydrater trays. I stacked the trays and turned the machine on (again, outside since it's been in the upper 90's!). I check on the progress from time to time to make sure they don't turn into fig "chips".

Now they are done. They are not so dried out that they are crispy, and not too juicy still that they will rot easily, but dried out and still pliable.
I store them in a plastic baggie. These particular type of figs aren't like the figs you can buy in the store. They are a little on the bland side with just a hint of sweetness. That may be because I picked them off the tree, and not off the ground as suggested. But they still make a nice snack, especially for homemade!

Beware the Bracco Italiano guarding his Italian honey figs!