Figs

[Rhythmdvl]

Fig season is in full swing.

If your exposure to figs is limited what you've had in Fig Newtons, then you're in for a treat. The difference is about the same as Log Cabin maple-inspired syrup to real, actual Maple Syrup. No, it's worst than that. It's like Post Raisin Bran to fresh, globe grapes. Baco-bits to home cured bacon.

Get thee to a market.

I'd type more, but there are delicious, delicious figs I must cram in my mouth and I need both hands.

[DivineComedienne]

There is a fig tree in my back yard but I have never known what to do with them. Do they have to be peeled? Can they be eaten raw or do they have to be cooked? What do I do with these things?

[FoieGrasIsEvil]

THIS is what you do with those yummy figs!

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pros...0000001197143/

[Athena]

Originally Posted by DivineComedienne

There is a fig tree in my back yard but I have never known what to do with them. Do they have to be peeled? Can they be eaten raw or do they have to be cooked? What do I do with these things?

You have a fig tree and you've never eaten them?!? Holy crap, am I jealous!

They don't have to be peeled, they don't have to be cooked. Just make sure they're ripe - some figs are purple, some stay green, some are other colors altogether, but overall, if it's soft but not mushy, it's ripe and you can eat it.

[LawMonkey]

The bar I was at last night had a fig tree hanging over its rear patio by the fence. There was a great deal of fig-eating going on amongst the hashers--it verged on the ridiculous. (Actually, it crossed over into the ridiculous, eventually.)

I had one and wasn't impressed, but I think it maybe wasn't fully ripe.

[lieu]

Originally Posted by Rhythmdvl

If your exposure to figs is limited what you've had in Fig Newtons...

Are those the ones that fall from a tree?

I've seen them in the store before but didn't know they're that delicious. Guess I'll just have to stop on the way home and check 'em out. I found this...

"Figs are fragile. Rare is the fig shopper who finds perfect, unmarred fresh figs. Lucky for the rest of us, slightly wrinkled (but still plump) and even split figs (as long as they are not weeping or leaking), are what you want. A bit of bend at the stem and a slight weariness to the skin both indicate better ripeness and flavor than taunt, shiny skin and stems that look like they're still grasping for the tree."

[Ponch8]

I first discovered fresh figs at Publix in Florida several years ago. Then I moved away and never saw them at the stores I went to in my new location. Two years ago, I rediscovered them on a vacation in Paris. I couldn't stop talking about them afterwards and said how much I miss having them where I live. Then, somebody told me that the Whole Foods two blocks away from me had them! My boycott of Whole Foods (over their opposition to universal health care) is still in effect, with just one exception: figs.

[Qadgop the Mercotan]

I once had a fig stuffed with gorgonzola, wrapped with prosciutto, then seared in a balsamic reduction.

I wish I had about 10 of those right now.

[Rhythmdvl]

We are now out of figs


...until tomorrow.

[Lynn Bodoni]

Until I was 14, I lived in a house with a fig tree in the back yard. I didn't know how very, very fortunate I was.

Now I must go to Central Market and pay an arm and a leg for figs. But they are worth it. Oh, they are so worth it. I've never bothered to cook them. A ripe fig needs nothing, except to be washed.

Nearly every year my husband has planted a fig tree for me. Every time, it dies. We call it the annual sacrifice to the Fig Fairies. I think that next year, I'm going to ask him to try planting a bigger tree.

[hogarth]

My wife peels figs; I think something about the skin burns her lips a bit if she eats too many of them so she thinks it's bad to eat the peel. I usually just slurp up the insides in order to make her happy; the skin isn't the tastiest part, anyways.

[cher3]

One of the best desserts I ever had was a bowl of vanilla ice-cream with perfect figs and red raspberries. The ice cream was some outstanding homemade creation from Chez Panisse perfumed with rose or something, but it was the combination of figs and berries that really made it.

[Rachellelogram]

Propitious thread timing! I saw a small plastic container of figs in the produce section at Meijer the other day, but I wavered and ended up not buying them. Because I've never tried them before, and $5 for that amount of fruit seemed like more of a gamble than I was willing to take. Maybe I'll go back and get some now.

[Hello Again]

My coworker with a fig tree gave me a quart container full, just because I mentioned I liked them. How nice is that!?

I've been coveting a dwarf fig they sell at Park Seed. Never mind I don't have a yard, balcony, or even any place in my apartment with good natural light...

[Suburban Plankton]

There's a bike trail near our house that has a strip of 'woodland' surrounding it, within which you can find walnuts, currants, blackberries, and figs. We will from time to time pick some figs and take them home (or, often as not, eat them before we get there)...yum!

[teela brown]

Our local stone-fruit orchard also sells figs in season. One of the varieties they sell is the panache fig, and it's the best-tasting (as well as the prettiest) of all the figs, IMO. I never cook or otherwise alter the figs in any way, because I love them fresh and eaten out of hand best.

I'm told they'll start selling them this weekend. Yum!

[ThelmaLou]

I had only ever been exposed to Fig Newtons and those yukky dried figs in dried fruit assortments, and the first time I bit into a fresh fig I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I couldn't believe it was the same fruit. If you are fortunate enough to have a fig bush, just pick those babies off and eat them.

[DSeid]

Raw is good. Halved, briefly grilled and dressed a wee bit of good balsamic vinegar is wonderful though!

[The Second Stone]

I have a fig tree and I'm getting a few every couple of days. I planted the tree two years ago as a sapling. Soon my summers will be summers of figs. Figs, sherry vinegar and honey. Wash them off, cut them up and cover as desired. Yum.

[Lynn Bodoni]

Originally Posted by teela brown

Our local stone-fruit orchard also sells figs in season. One of the varieties they sell is the panache fig, and it's the best-tasting (as well as the prettiest) of all the figs, IMO. I never cook or otherwise alter the figs in any way, because I love them fresh and eaten out of hand best.

I'm told they'll start selling them this weekend. Yum!

THAT'S the kind we had in our back yard! And they were indeed the yum. Now I know what I need to order. Thanks.

[phall0106]

Two years ago, I bought a little, bitty fig tree (more like a twig) at Lowes and planted it in my back yard. Last summer, not much (I think I got maybe two figs from it). This year--whoa, baby! It literally doubled in size (height and width) and it's producing figs like mad. The other night, I picked about a dozen. Tonight another five. There are tons of green ones still on the tree, and I can't wait until they're ripe. I would love to have enough to make some fig preserves, but since I eat them nearly as soon as I pick them, it's unlikely that I'll get enough all at once.

I was afraid since I'm so far north (Central Pennsylvania), that figs wouldn't grow here. However, my Lowes carries a particular fig tree that does fine in the north (don't ask me what type it is--I have no clue. It was the only one Lowes carried.)

Yeah, figs!

[SeaDragonTattoo]

I just polished off a container of them. I did share a couple, but I pretty much snarfed them all up. They were perfect, each one of them!

[outlierrn]

Hmmmm, figs!

[AClockworkMelon]

Never had a fig before. Looking up pictures of them I've got to say their insides look sort of frightening.

[WhyNot]

Originally Posted by AClockworkMelon

Never had a fig before. Looking up pictures of them I've got to say their insides look sort of frightening.

What's amazing is that when you split them and stick 'em under a broiler for a couple of minutes, they exude this amazing violet purple juice that's thick and sweet like...like...it seems like it must be some sort of frankenfood chemical lab creation, that's how candylike it is. It just can't be natural. Words fail, and none of the pictures on Google do it justice. But it's just amazing stuff, to look at and to eat.

C'mon, payday! I've got to try the proscuitto/gorgonzola thing...

[teela brown]

Originally Posted by Lynn Bodoni

THAT'S the kind we had in our back yard! And they were indeed the yum. Now I know what I need to order. Thanks.

Yeah, aren't they something? In addition to the honey sweetness that a good ripe fig has, the Panache has a subtle hint of tartness as well. The resulting flavor is almost like juicy raspberry or strawberry jam. The bright red interior of this fig reinforces the illusion.

::counting the days until Saturday::

[Jennyrosity]

God, I love figs. Sometimes I cover them in a bit of honey and cinnamon, bake them and serve them with marscapone, but mostly I just eat 'em.

I recently introduced my 7 month old daughter to them, and she loved them too.

[Bewildebeest]

Originally Posted by phall0106

...
I was afraid since I'm so far north (Central Pennsylvania), that figs wouldn't grow here. However, my Lowes carries a particular fig tree that does fine in the north (don't ask me what type it is--I have no clue. It was the only one Lowes carried.)

Yeah, figs!

Probably either Brown Turkey, or Celeste. The problem is that Brown Turkey means nothing. Every source for it sells something different. Celeste is supposed to be hardy on Long Island, and I've heard of people growing it in Chicago.

I have one of each about 20 years old. They cover my bedroom window on the second floor. I used to get bucket-loads, but now birds and squirrels take most of them. For me fig season is just ending.

[Skammer]

There is a good-sized fig tree growing in the garden of our church and it has been serving up deliciously ripe figs for a few weeks now. Ever week there seem to be more.

The most exciting thing is not that it's there, but that it means apparently fig trees grow well in our climate and we might think of planting one in our yard if we can figure out a good spot.

[Bewildebeest]

Originally Posted by Skammer

The most exciting thing is not that it's there, but that it means apparently fig trees grow well in our climate and we might think of planting one in our yard if we can figure out a good spot.

If you're outside of the normal fig growing zones, you really need to plant it up against a south(preferable) or west facing wall. If you don't you'll either get no figs, or they won't ripen before frost.

You need to protect them the first winter or two. Make a cage around them with sticks and string, and pack it with dry leaves. Remove it after frost danger is passed.

My two fig trees have survived -12F, which killed them to the ground, but they re-sprouted from the roots and bore a fair crop of late figs that year. I would estimate that they are about 22 feet tall now.

[ThelmaLou]

"In Brooklyn, an Abundance of Figs"

New York Times article today--if you click in, will count toward your quota if you're not a subscriber.

[RealityChuck]

"By the way, don't touch the figs."

[vivalostwages]

I have a two-year-old Black mission fig tree in the back yard. So far it has produced only dry figs that do not taste good. What does it need to improve itself?

[Daffyd]

We planted a fig tree two years ago, and are already inundated with figs.... and have neighbors bringing us home made fig jam...

I'm liking the recipes so far, because I really have no idea what to do with them all!

[Bewildebeest]

Originally Posted by vivalostwages

I have a two-year-old Black mission fig tree in the back yard. So far it has produced only dry figs that do not taste good. What does it need to improve itself?

The first figs a tree produces are often not very good. Just wait. Alternatively, you could be picking them too soon. Don't pick them until they droop and cracks start forming in the skin.

[shiftless]

The best figs fresh off the bush and still warm from the sun. So I planted a bush a few years ago and it is just starting to get a good crop. The squirrels seem to really be enjoying them.

Interesting facts about figs I've learned recently:

Figs set two crops, one in the spring and a larger one in the summer.

A fig's flower is inside the fruit.

[teela brown]

Originally Posted by shiftless

A fig's flower is inside the fruit.

As are the remains of the wasp who pollenated your fruit.

[Bewildebeest]

Originally Posted by teela brown

As are the remains of the wasp who pollenated your fruit.

Most of the figs grown by home gardeners do not require fig wasps for pollination.

[phall0106]

Originally Posted by Bewildebeest

The first figs a tree produces are often not very good. Just wait. Alternatively, you could be picking them too soon. Don't pick them until they droop and cracks start forming in the skin.

I finally figured out how to know when to pick my figs. Figs are ripe when they look like a singular ball sack that's just kinda hanging on the tree. You don't want a ball sack that's in full erection mode, nor do you want one that's in dead sleep mode--somewhere in between. It should be fleshy to the touch, just a touch wrinkled, and drooping on the branch.

I'll bet you never look at figs ever again the same, but I'll also bet you pick one at the perfect ripeness as well.

[Bewildebeest]

My neighbors have made similar observations.

[sisu]

FIGJAM is lovely, just ask me.......................................................

[Ogre]

We've canned so many figs this year, it's ridiculous. While we don't have a tree (yet), our neighbor has the most gigantic fig tree I've ever seen, and it produces thousands and thousands of figs every year. He puts a sign out for anybody in the neighborhood to have as many as they want, and people will harvest them from July until the end of the summer.

[Rhythmdvl]

Made it back to the market again and brought home a couple pints.

Sad, sad figs. No longer sweet, a morose epicurean dream.


*sigh*

[Swords to Plowshares]

How much are you folks paying for figs? There's only one stand at the market that sells them here and they're $1 EACH. They are in great condition though.

[Rhythmdvl]

I was paying $2.50 a pint. Now I'm paying with tears.

[teela brown]

My stand charges $2.50 a pound.

[Duke of Rat]

When I ordered some wasabi peanuts a while back, These caught my eye. Any experience?

[Mona Lisa Simpson]

Based on this thread I bought some black California mission figs last night. The first two were kinda meh, but then I had a third and it was much riper and juicier. My son and step daughter not too impressed. My son spit one out in my hand. Oh, well he tried it, at leat, and all the more for me.

[araminty]

Originally Posted by Duke of Rat

When I ordered some wasabi peanuts a while back, These caught my eye. Any experience?

They are SO good. They don't last very long, at least not without crystallizing, which changes the texture. I feel a bit guilty, ordering Turkish figs when CA has such a great fig industry (I live in the Bay Area), but they are just completely different.

Darling husband bought me a biiiig box of maybe 40 figs from Trader Joe's. Delicious, almost all perfectly ripe. I'm on fig overload right now.

[kayaker]

A friend has a fig tree and occasionally we trade fresh eggs for figs. We always slice them, put them in a bowl topped with soft goat cheese and a drizzle of honey.