Saturday 3 March 2012

Figs.


I love figs in all their forms. I like them fresh from the tree in late August/early September, cooked sweet or savoury, dried in that familiar flattened form, bottled in syrup (by me), or half dried so that they're plump and juicy.


I've just bought these two packets. The top one (isn't that a fabulous packet!) is the classic flattened fig we eat at Christmas along with those oblong packs of dates. And the lower one is a half dried version that is soft and succulent, slightly reminiscent of the wonderful 'mi-cuit' (half dried) prunes that we buy here for putting in Eau de Vie.

Lady M has just been scolding me for having bought such non-diabetic sugary delights; I ignored her.

Dried figs have an old-fashioned feel about them. I think a revival is in order. DRIED FIGS FOREVER!

20 comments:

  1. Lol you ignored her!!!!!! what are you going to get up to when Lady M is away she will come back to the original sugar plum fairy...we love figs also,we tried to grow a tree a couple of years ago and had no luck yet others seem to find them easy..never mind luckily they are readily available in all forms..

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  2. I'm surprised you didn't have luck with your tree. Here you only have to lean a piece of fig wood against a molehill, and in a week you have figs (well, almost).

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  3. I have a fig tree here that does bear fruit that ripen during hot summers (not that often then!)

    I'm ashamed to say I've nevr eaten a fig.

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  4. there is a huge fig tree in someones garden here in Glastonbury. It is a prolific fruiter, but the fruit falls to the ground on the path and i don't think anyone knows if they are edible or not, so they just lie there, to be trodden on by passers by. As they are not a common site in england I wonder if folks are afraid to eat this "strange" fruit for fear of poisoning?

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  5. My people had one in their garden in Shropshire, but it never really ripened; they need a lot of sun.

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    Replies
    1. Hmm. how can I tell? I'd like to pick some this year. Is it the colour change from green to purple? The one I tried last year was soft, but rather tasteless.

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    2. Tear them in half. If the inside is red and sweet tasting... it's ripe. The fig itself should also begin to droop from where it's joined to the stem..

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  6. There is not a fruit that is so perfect and delicious as a fresh fig - but it is difficult to locate them - M&S is the only outlet I have ever found these lovely little things.

    I must admit that I did not know that the fig tree could survive in Good Old Blighty - I shall have to do a Google search for a supplier - but fear they might not survive in my part of the country.

    Anna :o]

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  7. I adore figs! My favourite recipe is fresh figs in a salad with bufala mozzarella, small baby leaves of any kind and a dark balsamic dressing.
    The Italian supermarkets here in Canada fly them in at the end of the summer and we have to buy them by the box...so for about two wonderful weeks, it's fig-heaven!
    One of my to-do-before-I-die things is to eat a fig, warm and succulent, straight from the tree.

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    Replies
    1. I'd better not tell you about all our trees then!

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  8. The big, fresh ones are the best, in my opinion.

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  9. The garden/pottery I work in near Abergavenny has two fig trees. None ripened last year, but usually they are the accompaniment to a late Summer firing, fresh from the tree

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  10. we adore figs! one of our northern delights is that the fig tree we bought many years ago from Waterperry Gardens survived...and we have fresh figs every year!! My! northern figs!

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    1. Ours in Shropshire was against an old brick wall, facing south. No doubt, gz and Gerry, yours are similarly positioned.

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  11. The closet I've been is fig newtons or prunes, which I kind of love. Dried and fresh figs aren't really a big staple in America I guess.

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    1. The newtons were nice; I've haven't seen them for years.

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  12. Those figs do look good - I haven't seen them here but must keep a lookout. I always reckon that a little of what you fancy does you good in spite of the diabetes.

    We had some fig trees on our previous property but it was always a fight between us and the birds for the fruit.

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  13. I've never eaten them...sounds like I'm missing something....

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  14. I love them fresh off the tree to. I have packages in the freezer of the half drid ones, and jars of preserves in the pantry. I even have a wine version aging in the corner of my kitchen.

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  15. I think my area is too cold for figs. I've never had one fresh from the tree. Seems that i'm missing something.

    megan

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