Drying Figs (A How-To Guide)

Drying fresh figs in a food dehydrator is about the easiest way to preserve figs when your fig tree is ready to harvest and you don't want to lose one piece of fruit.

While your figs are drying, pick more from the tree to make a batch of fig preserves (aka fig jam!) or a jar of preserved figs. Fresh fig season is fleeting so you want to make all the fig recipes!!

I take advantage of what my fig trees have to offer and spend a few hours to dehydrate fig halves.

✨ Here is why this recipe is amazing:

• Figs have a short season so drying them is the perfect way to save them all year long.
• No additional ingredients are needed. Just figs!

🥫 Ingredients needed:

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.

📝 Ingredient notes:

• Figs - fresh and blemish free

🥣 Helpful Kitchen Tools

• Food Dehydrator
• ½ Sheet Pan Set
• Cooling Racks
• Cheesecloth

🔪 How to dry figs

Here are three different methods of drying figs. Depending on what equipment you have available to you will determine your fig drying method.

Dehydrator:

Dehydrating figs with a food dehydrator requires special equipment but is the most hands-off technique.

1. Wash and dry the figs, slicing them in half from stem to blossom end.
   
2. Arrand the fig halves in a single layer on a tray of your food dehydrator.
3. Close the lid of the dehydrator and set the temperature to 135 F or the 'fruit' setting on your machine.
   
4. Allow them to dehydrate for 6-8 hours and then check them for dryness. Depending on the humidity in your location and the size of your figs you may have to dry them for up to an additional 4 hours.
5. Once the figs are dried, store them in airtight containers.

Oven drying figs:

1. Wash and dry the figs, slicing them in half from stem to blossom end.
2. Preheat your oven to its lowest temperature it will go. 140 F / 60 C or lower, if it will go lower.
3. Put cut figs on a cooling rack lined rimmed baking tray, cut side up, in a single layer. Do not crowd the tray.
4. Dry the figs in the oven for a minimum of 8 hours.
5. Depending on the humidity in your location and the size of your figs you may have to dry them for up to an additional 4 hours.
6. Once the figs are dried store them in airtight containers.

Sun Drying:

1. Select fruit that is firm, ripe, and without blemishes.
   
2. Wash and dry the figs gently and cut them in half lengthwise, leaving the two halves joined by the stem.
3. Place figs, cut side up on cooling rack lined rimmed baking tray, in a single layer and cover with two layers of cheesecloth. Do not crowd the tray.
4. Set the tray in full sun.
5. When the sun sets, bring the trays inside and return when the dew has burned off in the morning.
6. It will take between 2 and 7 days of sun exposure to be ready.
7. Once the figs are dried store them in airtight containers.

How to store dried figs

Make sure the figs are dry, not tacky/wet, store the dry figs in an airtight container. If you have a food-safe silica gel packet place on in the container before sealing the container.

Drying Figs

Sarah Mock

Drying figs in a dehydrator is the easiest way to preserve fresh figs. Also, learn about oven drying and sun drying methods of fig drying.

5 from 10 votes

Print Recipe

Note From Sarah

There is more to a recipe than just the recipe card. Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 8 hrs

Total Time 8 hrs 5 mins

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark, toggle to button to the right to turn GREEN

Course Food Tips

Cuisine American

Servings 20

Calories 17 kcal

HELPFUL KITCHEN TOOLS

Food Dehydrator

Cooling Racks

½ Sheet Pan Set

Cheesecloth

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 pound Figs (fresh)

Instructions

 

Dehydrator

• Wash and dry the figs, slicing them in half from stem to blossom end.
• Arrand the fig halves in a single layer on a tray of your food dehydrator.
• Close the lid of the dehydrator and set the temperature to 135 F or the 'fruit' setting on your machine.
• Allow them to dehydrate for 6-8 hours and then check them for dryness. Depending on the humidity in your location and the size of your figs you may have to dry them for up to an additional 4 hours.
• Once the figs are dried, store them in airtight containers.

Oven drying figs:

• Wash and dry the figs, slicing them in half from stem to blossom end.
• Preheat your oven to its lowest temperature it will go. 140 F / 60 C or lower, if it will go lower.
• Put cut figs on a cooling rack lined rimmed baking tray, cut side up, in a single layer. Do not crowd the tray.
• Dry the figs in the oven for a minimum of 8 hours. Depending on the humidity in your location and the size of your figs you may have to dry them for up to an additional 4 hours.
• Once the figs are dried store them in airtight containers.

Sun Drying:

• Select fruit that is firm, ripe, and without blemishes.
• Wash and dry the figs gently and cut them in half lengthwise, leaving the two halves joined by the stem.
• Place figs, cut side up on cooling rack lined rimmed baking tray, in a single layer and cover with two layers of cheesecloth. Do not crowd the tray.
• Set the tray in full sun. When the sun sets, bring the trays inside and return when the dew has burned off in the morning.
• It will take between 2 and 7 days of sun exposure to be ready.
• Once the figs are dried store them in airtight containers.

Notes

Making sure the figs are dry, not tacky/wet, store the dry figs in an airtight container. If you have a food-safe silica gel packet place on in the container before sealing the container.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 17kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 53mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 32IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 8mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition Disclosure

Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.

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👩🏻‍🍳 Sarah Mock

CEO/Owner/Founder/Culinary Blogger

Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 14 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.