Tet Nguyen Dan is approaching, preparing some delicious dishes for the Tet feast is of interest to many housewives. Among them, accompanying dishes that help relieve swelling, such as spicy and crispy pickled figs, are very popular.
To make a delicious pot of pickled figs for the whole family to eat Tet, housewives should prepare about 1kg of fresh figs (you should choose sticky figs to have crispness and less bitterness than plain figs), 2 garlic bulbs, 1 small galangal bulb, 5-7 chili peppers.
The seasoning for the soaking water includes 1 liter of filtered water, seed salt, sugar, rice vinegar (or lemon juice).
Preliminary processing of figs plays a decisive role in the color and crispness of the finished product. Therefore, buying figs needs to remove stems, wash away dirt. Prepare a basin of diluted water with 1 tablespoon of salt and juice of 1 lemon. Slice figs into thin slices or cut them in half as you like, slice as far as you want and immediately put them in a basin of water to soak as much as possible.
Soaking figs in diluted salt water and lemon for about 20 - 30 minutes will help remove plastic, defrost and keep figs white and beautiful, not dark. Then, take out the figs, wash them many times with clean water and let them drain thoroughly.
While waiting for the garlic to dry, pre-process the garlic by peeling it, slicing it thinly; Wash the chili peppers, cut them into segments or leave them whole; Peel the galangal, shred it or cut it into thin slices to create a warm aroma.
The soaked water mixture is mixed with boiling 1 liter of filtered water, adding a little sugar, salt and vinegar according to the prepared ratio. Stir well until the spices dissolve completely, then turn off the heat, let the mixture cool completely. Housewives also note that the soaked water must be completely cooled before salt to prevent the figs from mushrooming.
Next, arrange a layer of figs interspersed with a layer of garlic, chili, and galangal in a clean glass jar (washed with boiling water and let dry). Pour the soaked water mixture in so that it covers the figs' surface. Use bamboo poles or plastic sheets to secure the top to ensure that the figs are always immersed in water, avoiding blisters or dark spots on the face.
A pot of salted figs is stored in a cool place, after about 2-3 days when the figs turn golden brown, they can be eaten. Standard finished products need to be crispy, with a harmonious sour, spicy, salty, and sweet taste, no longer bitter. Before eating, you can mix a little chili sauce or herbs to enhance the flavor.
