Cooking Tips
1 pound (450 g) dried figs
1 ½ cup (6 oz) sugar
1 lemon, juiced
Put figs and lemon juice in a sauce pan. Add enough water to cover. Let stand for two hours. Then put over heat, bring to a simmer, let simmer until tender. Add sugar, stir in, continue to simmer until a jam-like consistency is reached. Remove from heat, let cool.
Nutrition
You can pretty much count on there being insect parts in commercial versions of Fig Paste. Health Canada says it must not contain more that 13 or more insect heads per 100g. Which means, anything under that is permissible. [1] What many brands will say is something like this: “Insect Fragments: Meets industry standards.”
Sources
[1] Health Canada Regulations. Sec. 550.350 Figs; Fig Paste – Adulteration Involving Insect Infestation, Mold, Dirt (CPG 7110.10). 29th November 2005. Retrieved September 2010 from http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/res-rech/analy-meth/microbio/volume4/exfhpb06-01-eng.php