Fig Syrup.
By Raquel
9 comments
Well, regarding the farm, we’ve decided to plant some fig trees. Ok, this is not as random an action as it might seem…the truth is that financially El Salvador is pretty hard hit, and it’s becoming a struggle to make ends meet – especially with the cost of my parent’s medication and the fact that in July my dad had a stroke – a mild one to be sure, but it left him unable to speak and even now, with therapy, sometimes it’s very hard to understand him. So brainstorming like crazy and while surfing Facebook, I noticed that quite a few people are selling things through Facebook, and these are Salvadoran businesses. And that they’re selling primarily to Salvadorans. It occurred to me then that WE could sell fig syrup, which is a specialty from the town of Santa Ana, where my mother is from. I say WE because I could do the internet part and my mother can make the syrup (she has been making it for us forever – we use it on pancakes) and my dad decided then he would plant the fig trees at the farm. I’m sure my brother and my sister will be looped into this at some point, but right now it’s pretty much my baby. Our fig syrup is 100% natural (and my mom told me that if I was even thinking of putting preservatives in it she would refuse to make it!) and delicious and the plan is to market it as a gourmet kind of product – so the packaging has to be good. And of course the product has to be excellent! Our market is El Salvador for now. Amazingly, people in El Salvador are buying things on-line from businesses in El Salvador. It’s a new trend. Why on-line for us? Because we can’t afford to lease a shop nor decorate it and promote it. I’m hoping to launch this in December when I go home. The idea is not to become syrup tycoons, it is simply to help my parents generate more income. They’re in their early seventies, and are pretty excited about this prospect. My mom already made the first batch of syrup! Right now we’re testing it to see how long it lasts without refrigeration, and how we can seal the bottles well so the product stays good. With refrigeration my mother calculates it can last up to three months. Of course we’ve never tested this as in our house we’re lucky if the fig syrup makes it to the end of the week! When I imagine what I want it to look like I imagine the pure maple syrup glass bottles I see at the store – something like that. Except instead of amber, it will be light green. You can taste the figs, of course, but it is not overpowering. And it is not overly sweet. So we’ll see how this goes, it could flop, but hopefully it will work!
It makes me happy to be able to try this, it’s also in a way going back to our family roots. My great-grandmother Amanda was a very hard working lady with eight children to feed and so worked doing other people’s ironing, this was back in the day when the irons had to be heated (no electric irons!) and her specialty was ironing lace. But she also made jellies and candies from fruit, what we call “conservas” and perhaps even the fig syrup and sold those too. =)
9 Oct, 2008
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Comments
Hi raquel, brilliant idea you have there and great that the whole family will be involved. wish you every success with this. dont forget your pals on here when your rich and famous aye?
9 Oct, 2008
Great idea! I really hope that it succeeds. Over here, we would fall foul of all kinds of Health and Safety rules!!!! LOL. We'd probably get fined and banned. In the UK - madness reigns.
9 Oct, 2008
Spritz that is exactly what would happen here too.
health and safety have gone way over board with all the rules.
10 Oct, 2008
Thank you all for your comments and good wishes! I'm a bit terrified but we're proceeding with it...don't know bout being rich and famous...just financially solvent would be OK!
Hi Bonkersbon no, I haven't thought of a name, I thought we'd just call it "fig syrup" (seriously)...mm maybe I haven't thought this out as mcuh as I should! lol =) I will ask the parents what they think and if we need another name. Thanks for the suggestion!
Hi Spritzhenry and Irish: well in El Salvador we have a serious health safety issue ie there are no (or very few) standards! This gives us more freedom for sure, but also a health problem as people get sick and companies are putting God only knows what chemicals and additives in our food...sigh...so I guess you need rules but not too many rules! I agree too many is insane..always sad we in the US can't get some of the cheese you have in Europe, because they don't meet American safety standards (they're not pasteurized)! Back in El Salvador because companies want to export, they're incorporating American standards..cause otherwise the products don't make it in! Ah the effective pressure of the world market! =)
12 Oct, 2008
Hi Raquel no name ? How about Figuelsa Syrup ?
Combination of fig elsa - from El Salvador and parts of your name in there too. Put the u in as people will be used to saying miguel so get the pronunciation right.
Is it possible to add spices to this syrup to a make a sort of chilli sauce so you not restricted to just sweet foods ? ie Figuelsa sauce. Figuelsa relish etc.No cook so if this too gross to contemplate sorry,meant well.
13 Oct, 2008
Ok Bonkersbon now you've made me laugh...somehow Idon't think Figuelsa syrup would fly, if we give it another name it'll probably be along the lines of "Grandma's Old-Fashioned Syrup" or something like that... I'm not sure the syrup would combine well with savory spices...maybe only in very reduced quantities of syrup, like they do for honey dijon mayonnaise...my sister's the experimental cook in the fam, I always thought some of her concoctions kinda gross but then when cooked they tasted good! So you never know....
15 Oct, 2008
Happy to raise a smile Raquel as I said no cook - just wishing you well as you seem determined to help raise some revenue for your family.Not easy in these hard times.
Plenty here on goy rooting for you so please keep us updated .Good luck.
15 Oct, 2008
Thank you! It's really nice to feel supported.
18 Oct, 2008
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What a lovely idea deserves to be a success - you thought of a name yet for your fig syrup ? Perhaps open it up to suggestions if not.
You clearly very committed to your family and keen to help financially and emotionally,great that your mum will be involved.Who knows this could be the start of a range of natural products and we could soon be saying yeah knew Raquel when she was a member of goy! Good luck.
9 Oct, 2008