I know! You probably think this recipe is rather strange and why do people come up with recipes like that?! Why not use the fruit but the leaves? The answer is, fig leaves have powerful and unique aromas. They carry scents of coconut, peat, vanilla and green walnut which bring interesting flavours to the syrup. This unusual fig leaf syrup may not be everyone’s “cup of tea”, but if you are curious and like unusual and herby drinks, it’s worth trying it. If you find using fig leaves odd, do not stop reading. You can use the same recipe with figs. You can learn how to make this syrup with figs further down.

HISTORY OF THE FIG.

The fig tree is likely to be one of the oldest trees existing on Earth. It was first mentioned in the Old Testimony of the Bible as one of the trees in the Garden of Eden.

Fig trees like a dry and warm climate. They are most common in the Southern Balkans and the Mediterranean.

WHAT ARE THE MOST POPULAR FIG VARIETIES IN THE BALKANS?

The common fig (Ficus carica) has many varieties in the Balkans. Here you can find some of the most popular ones:

Brown Turkey – a variety that grows not only in the Balkans but in many parts of the world. It’s hardy and has an excellent sweet and juicy taste, rusty red to purplish skin and rich pink flesh.  

Michurinska-10 – an old variety found only in Bulgaria and some regions of Macedonia, Serbia and Romania. Possibly one of the hardiest figs in the world. Produces an abundance of small and tasty fruits in two colours – green and purple.

Vasilika Mavra (Royal Black) – known as one of Greece’s finest figs, it has a unique dark burgundy colour and bright red flesh. Their taste is described as berry and honey flavoured, thick and jammy.

The Balkan Grey fig – a Turkish variety with grey, small to medium size figs, thick and jammy pulp, and intense sweet and tart taste.

Adriatic White – a common variety in the Western Balkans. It grows throughout the Mediterranean region and has pale green to pale yellow fruit. They are sometimes called “white figs” as they can take on a white-ish hue. The fruits have bright pink to brilliant red flesh and extra sweet flavour.

Miljska figa – a variety cultivated in the coastal area of Slovenia. The fruits are middle-sized with purple skin tinged with blue-black. The fruits are oblate and usually without a neck.

Zamorcica – this is the best and the most prevalent Croatian fig variety. It is cultivated along the whole coast, and mostly on the islands. It has a small pyriform fruit with a light green colour, turning yellowish-green at the time of ripening. The fruit is thin, easily detached from the pulp, white-yellowish under the skin and honey-pink in the middle, very juicy and sweet, with a pleasant aroma.

HEALTH PROPERTIES OF THE FIG & THE FIG LEAVES.

Fig leaves, similar to the fruit, contain vitamins  8В1, В6 and K and a lot of minerals – beta carotin, calcium, iron, etc.

HOW TO MAKE THIS SYRUP WITH FIGS LEAVES?

📋 INGREDIENTS IN FIG LEAF SYRUP

Fig leaves: The most important rule in jam and syrup making is to use fresh and healthy produce. Ensure your fig leaves are healthy and undamaged.

Sugar: In the Balkans, jam sugar is not commonly used. Syrups and jams are made with regular granulated sugar and that’s the type of sugar I use here. If you prefer to use jam sugar, that’s possible.

Preservative: Citric acid is used as a preservative in jams and syrups. If you are using jam sugar, you don’t need to add extra citric acid because the sugar already contains it. However, if you are concerned that citric acid is not a natural product and you don’t want to use it, you can substitute it with lemon juice.

📖 STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Prepare the fig leaves

Soak the leaves in a bowl of water for 15 minutes, then wash them well under running water. Make sure all dirt and dust are removed.

Step 2: Make the syrup

Blanch the fig leaves in a large pot of water at a low temperature for 20 minutes. It is important to keep the heat on your hob low because high temperatures will kill the flavours.

When ready, leave the flavoured water to cool down to room temperature. Keep the lid on to lock the aromas in the pot.

Remove the leaves and filter the liquid through a muslin cloth to remove all particles left from the leaves.

Pour the fragrant water into the same pot you used earlier and add the sugar.

Let the syrup simmer for 10-15 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the syrup becomes thicker. Stir occasionally.

Step 3: Add preservative

Lemon juice or citric acid can be added as a natural preservative to this syrup.

In this recipe, I use lemon juice. Add it to the syrup when it is ready and let the syrup simmer for further 3-4 minutes.

🍲 CULINARY USE OF THE FIG/FIG LEAF SYRUP

As mentioned earlier, the syrup made with fig leaves is very aromatic and compliments well dry baked desserts like banana bread or pancakes.

As a drink, fig leaves syrup can be served diluted with chilled soda or tap water. It can also bring interesting tones when added to cocktails.

The sugar content in this recipe is quite high, but do not forget that the syrup is concentrated and very little is used.

HOW TO BOTTLE FIG/FIG LEAF SYRUP?

Use glass bottles with crown bottle caps or screw caps. If you are processing the syrup thermally, bottles with clip tops are not suitable because they may pop open from the high temperature.

Step 1: Sterilise the bottles and caps

Start by washing the bottles in warm soapy water, then rinse them well with clean water. You can use a pressure canner or a water bath for sterilising and canning. For the pressure canner, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

SterilisING bottles/caps with the water bath method

Pour boiling water from your kitchen kettle into a large and tall pot. Using tongs, place the warm bottles carefully inside the pot of boiled water with the opening facing down so they can get full of water. Add more boiling water to the pot if necessary to cover the bottles with at least 1 inch of water on top.

Bring the water in the pot to a full boil, place the lid on, and set a timer for 10 minutes from the moment the water has reached a full boil. If boiling too vigorously, reduce the heat until it comes down to a more gentle but full boil. If the caps are not attached to the bottles, place them with the bottles into the boiling water to sterilise them as well. After 10 minutes turn the heat off.

Take the bottles out of the hot water with tongs and empty them if there is water left inside. Be careful not to burn your hands, the bottles will be very hot. Cover the bottom of a deep heavy pot with a tea towel and place the bottles upside down inside the pot for the water inside to drain.

STEP 2: TRANSFER thE FIG LEAF syrup INTO The STERILISED BOTTLES

Make sure the bottles are dry inside but still warm before pouring the syrup. You can place them in a warm oven to keep them warm before use. Pour the syrup into the bottles with a funnel. Wipe the rim and secure the caps.

If you plan to store the syrup for an extended period of time, process the bottles hermetically using a pressure canner or the water bath method. You need to use screwtops if you are processing the bottles of syrup. Bottles with stoppers may pop open under high pressure or in boiling water.

Step 3: Process the BOTTLES OF SYRUP THERMALLY

Some jam makers question the need for hermetically sealing (processing) jam and syrup because they believe that the high content of sugar preserves them. 

If you decide to process the syrup using the water bath method, heat water in the same deep pot you’ve used for sterilising the bottles. Fill it with warm water and bring the water to a full boil. Cover the pot with the lid. Set the timer for 10 minutes from the moment the water reaches a full boil. If it’s boiling too vigorously, reduce the heat to a more gentle but still full boil. After 10 minutes turn the heat off. Leave the bottles with the syrup in the hot water for 5-10 minutes to cool a bit before taking them out.

Let the syrup cool for at least 12 hours. Always store bottled syrup in a cool and dark place.