Slow Cooker Ginger Figs are a totally delightful dessert. Just add three ingredients to your slow cooker and leave it to create the most intense and gloriously fragrant seasonal fruit dessert.
I love fresh figs and it’s always exciting when they come into season. Figs are delicious when fresh and ripe, but something magical happens when you cook them. The flavours intensify and the natural sweetness increases.
Why cook Ginger Figs in the Slow Cooker?
I use my slow cooker at every opportunity for all kinds of recipes. The low even temperature that your slow cooker produces means that the fruit stays in one piece. The longer time at a low temperature means the ginger and the orange juice really infuse the flesh of the figs and create a delicious sauce.
What are figs?
A fig is a soft pear-shaped fruit with green or purple outer flesh and many tiny seeds inside. This fruit is, in fact, an inverted flower that grows inside the outer pod. Fig trees are part of the mulberry family and are common across most Mediterranean countries and in Northern India.
When are figs available to buy?
Fresh figs are available all year round. However, the best of the crop appears in stores in the UK in late summer and autumn. Dried figs are also available all year round and they are a great addition to cake and bread recipes. Or soak them in tea with dried apricots and dried apples for a winter fruit salad.
What is preserved ginger?
Preserved ginger is fresh ginger root that has been peeled, sliced and cooked in sugar syrup. I buy preserved ginger in a jar for convenience. If you would like to make your won then you can find a recipe for Homemade Stem Ginger at Tales from the Kitchen Shed.
What kind of orange juice should I use?
Use fresh orange juice for the recipe. You can squeeze oranges to make your juice, this is the very best kind of fresh orange juice. However, you can also use orange juice from a bottle or carton. Use the kind of fresh orange juice that you would drink at breakfast time.
How should I store the cooked Ginger Figs?
If you want to get ahead then make the Slow Cooker Ginger Figs in advance. Once cooked, remove the Ginger Figs from the Slow Cooker. Then keep them in a closed container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Let the figs come to room temperature before serving as you will miss out on the deep flavours if you serve them too cold.
Can I freeze Ginger Figs?
Yes, you can freeze the cooked and chilled figs in a freezer-proof container for up to 3 months. Defrost them overnight in the fridge to retain the best texture.
How do I serve Slow Cooker Ginger Figs?
I serve the Ginger Figs at room temperature with thick Greek yogurt. I find that the creamy yogurt with its slight acidic tang is the perfect accompaniment to the soft and spicy figs.
Ginger Figs are also delicious warm with homemade Vanilla Custard Sauce or with warm rice pudding. They are also delicious with ice cream. As a real treat why not serve Slow Cooker Ginger Figs for breakfast or brunch with Cinnamon Granola?
More Fig Recipes
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Slow Cooker Ginger Figs
Ingredients
- 4 (4) ripe figs
- 50 millilitres (2 fl oz) orange juice
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) preserved ginger in syrup chopped
- 3 tablespoon (3 tablespoon) preserved ginger in syrup chopped
- 500 grams (2.5 cups) Greek Yogurt
Instructions
- 4 ripe figsCut the hard part of the stem from the top of the figs, then slice a cross into the top of each one, be careful not to cut all the way to the bottom or your figs will fall apart.
- 1 tablespoon preserved ginger in syrupPlace the figs in the basin of the slow cooker, open out the sections of the fig a little and fill the space with a dessert spoon of chopped preserved ginger and a teaspoon of the syrup.
- 50 millilitres orange juicePour the orange juice around the figs and cover with the lid.
- Bake in the slow cooker on low for 2-3 hours.
- Remove the figs from the slow cooker to a serving dish, pour the juices into a pan and bring to a rapid boil, reducing the syrup by half, then pour this over the figs and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
- 500 grams Greek Yogurt, 3 tablespoon preserved ginger in syrupServe with Greek yogurt, drizzling the syrup and remaining chopped preserved ginger over the figs and yogurt.
Karen S Booth says
Now this is a month I should be able to cook to enter Janice! And, all due to the fact that I have fruit coming out of my ears! GREAT theme! Karen
Janice Pattie says
Looking forward to seeing what you make., Karen.
belleau kitchen says
oh those figs look superb! I made an apple and fig loaf with dried figs yesterday and am eating it now whilst reading this post so it feels a little bit like 'scratch n sniff'… I love it! xx
Janice Pattie says
Apple and fig loaf sounds good, Dom.
Choclette says
You had me at the words gingered figs Janice – they sound wonderful.
Janice Pattie says
I love both ingredients too, I guess you could improve with chocolate!
Keep Calm and Fanny On says
I saw the most amazing figs this weekend at Borough Market' wish I could've brought a tray or two home 😉
Janice Pattie says
Gosh that must have been very tempting.
Rebecca Subbiah says
this looks great never tried ginger and figs together sounds good
Janice Pattie says
It works for me, Rebecca.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
It's in The Food Blog Diary Janice 🙂
Janice Pattie says
Thanks Jac 🙂
Heidi Roberts says
I love figs – never thought of cooking them in a slow cooker!!
Stuart Vettese says
These look lovely – I'm thinking they would be really good around Christmas time with the ginger. I've just invested in a slow cooker, so shall be entering the challenge this month!!
Choclette says
Yes, to figs, yes to ginger and a big yes to this recipe. Sounds so good. Hoping we might get a few more figs off our tree this year, so you never know, I might just be able to make it!
Janice Pattie says
Oh what joy to have a fig tree, I hope you are rewarded with some lovely figs.
Cat says
I absolutely love figs and the flavours compliment each other so well. Such a lovely dessert.
Janice Pattie says
Thank you, Cat.
Chloe says
I’ve roasted figs before but never tried slow cooking them but this looks like such a great idea. Ginger and figs are such a great flavour combination too, you really can’t go wrong!
Janice Pattie says
Thanks, Chloe. Slow Cooking really infuses the ginger flavour into the figs.
Jo says
I made this after noticing our fig tree was laden with big fat ripe figs. I have just had breakfast with these figs on top of yoghurt and cereal. Delicious! Thank you for the great idea of cooking the figs in the slow cooker.
Janice Pattie says
Oh I’m so jealous of your fig tree. I’m glad you enjoyed the gingered figs 😊