Dried figs … a heritage industry and an excellent income source for the people of Homs countryside

Dried figs are a delicious fruit which contain a package of nutrients and offer a variety of health benefits. They have high levels of Vitamin C, Vitamin E and calcium, zinc, minerals, magnesium and manganese potassium.

Dried figs are made from Fig fruits, and the “grandmother” method for making food is still used a lot.  The families that are working in this industry dry the figs, rinse gently and pat with a clean cloth to dry them. Then they place them under the sun to dry and collect them at night. Again, they place them in a pot of boiling water and expose them to sun heat once again until they become dry and weathered.

Some families after grinding and cutting dried figs, decorate them with coconut, sesame, or fine bulgur, then they store some of them in a freezer bag or airtight jars for up to a year and they sell the rest of the quantity.

The fig season provides job opportunities for many families in the northwestern countryside of Homs, so they either sell them fresh or dried. Also, they make fig jam or a kind of sweet named (Hababil or Habboul).

Many of the countryside families are waiting for the fig season to get a new income to support their children and become financially independent.

The Agriculture Director in Homs stated that the figs production this year has increased by a high rate compared to last year.

Lara Khouli