How many years until you allow a fig tree to produce figs? I’ve been picking all tiny figs off my small figs I planted a month ago.
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This is how I like my figs to look before I harvest them:
This is how this fig looks inside (Panache Tiger, main crop):
Another example (Desert King, breba):
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I’m not even sure what a fig taste like. I’ll have to find some at the store and give them a try.
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The ones in the store around here are garbage.
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I let them produce figs as soon as possible. I have had 15 figs on a cutting less than six months old. I now have three air layers on it 2nd leaf.
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My potted figs look great and healthy this year but very little in the production department. Strawberry Verte has some small figs that just started developing but I’m unsure if they will be ripe before fall. Petite Negrone took off this spring and has finally started growing but no sign of figs. My ongoing Chicago Hardy that has grown back from the roots has a few small dogs but I’m not sure if they will ripe this year either. LSU Purple and Desert King are also growing well.
Strawberry Verte
Petite Negrone
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I pick the figs off of first-leaf inground figs, and figs in my nursery. I want that energy going to growing limbs, leaves and roots, not fruit. Especially since fruit from young trees isn’t that good (imho).
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Mine don’t seem to have any problem growing. I never seen plants ever grow as fast as figs. The figs produced didn’t seem to me to slow it down enough to be concerned, it grew enough to harvest three clones via air layers while 2nd leaf.
Although I think pulling them off is certainly not going to hurt anything, and it will make the plant focus on growth.
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I picked three Unknown Teramo (region of Italy) breba figs yesterday.
It looked over ripe to me, maybe even rotten, but I tried it anyway and it was fine. The other two were not as ripe. I’m going to try and dry them whole. Very good taste and seed crunch. I would say it was over ripe, but not spoiled. it would be if left on another day!
To me these have a very strong figgy taste, like a dried fig would taste. Probably not for everybody, I like them a lot. As the flavor is bold, and not subtle like some or most fresh figs. Not as sweet as main crop, which are quite small.
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Here are the other two. Deformed creatures! All three would not let go, I had to pull hard to remove them, but so soft these are ripe!
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There are figs that don’t spoil and don’t get over ripe. They just turn into dried figs right on the tree. Under the right conditions Strawberry Verte is such a fig. But that may not happen in humid climates. The dried Black Missions that one buys in the store dried on the tree and on the ground in CA. They are swept up off the ground almost like raisins that in CA also dry on the ground…well on butcher paper on the ground.
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I just wish the Verte types were earlier… They are so great in all other respects.
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I have only had dried figs from Italy, and somewhere else? I forget where? Imported though. Dried whole too, probably the same way as Steve mentions. Yes, they get moldy here I’m afraid!
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They get moldy because the sugar isn’t high enough.
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So right now I only have VdB. This is the first year it’s been able to produce a breba crop, a couple lbs so far. The main crop looks to have 100 - 200, the main threats have been splitting from rain and ants. So far I’ve been diligent about picking after rain - the ants know and are always waiting for a fig to split. I’ve been putting down baits to target the ants it’s helped to some extent.
VdB has been great this is its best year so far, tree is better established. Fruit has a flavor like a prune type plum - made a fig crumble (like a plum crumble but with fig).
I’ve seen some of the crazy prices for fig cuttings on ebay for rare varieties. But what I’m really interested in are the yellow varieties I want to try adding one like Peter’s Honey fig next.
That’s what i look for. When the fig goes from perky at the stem to droopy - peak ripeness.
I use the snips or pinch them!
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I have not had many. I didn’t like the ones I had, but I think it’s hard to judge as @smatthew points out figs on young trees are not as good. He is right. I picked up one that sounded interesting, Jurupa. Peter’s Honey too sounds good. I’m going to wait to add it though. Also I should be quiet about this, but sometimes people don’t bid much. Everybody must have been looking at the rare figs Wills had up as I got Jurupa for 15 bucks. A very fair price. I got it from Wills founder of Our Figs, so no worries it is a Jurupa.
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Steven,
Can you please explain the science behind this?
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The moldy issue? It’s a simple well know principle. Fruit high enough in sugar doesn’t mold or spoil. The bacteria or mold can’t draw water from the fruit because of the high osmotic potential. It’s the reason dried fruit doesn’t need to be refrigerated. So a fig that’s has a really high sugar content can make the transition from unripe to dried fig without spoiling. Figs high in water spoil when they get soft because the osmotic potential isn’t high enough to ward off spoilage.
For instance the Black Missions in CA that are made into dried figs are grown dryland. The trees aren’t watered all summer in their 100F+ temperatures and no rain. Those are high sugar figs. When they soften they go right to the dried stage on the tree and then after falling to the ground. At least that’s what I’ve been told.
In my greenhouse if I grow Strawberry Verte with low water they dry to about 45 brix before falling off. Then they can be further dried laying in the sun.
I bought 30 lbs of Turkish dried figs last winter. Those are dried whole in the sun. Nothing but their own sugar to keep them from spoiling.
In humid climates figs are usually too high in water and spoil soon after getting soft. To me they are picked too early but like sweet cherries there are good reasons.
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Yes, that is where mine were from too that I purchased. And yeah you explained what happens perfectly. Well breba’s are notorious for having less sugar from what I have read, so no doubt it would mold. I could sun dry it though too, it’s been so hot here this year. I’m not though, it’s going in the dehydrator. I like them dried whole, but these home dehydrators are not really designed for thick fruit. I could probably do it in the oven at lowest temp.
Yes, what happens here, although i can let them hang a lot longer in the fall. No big deal, I can dry them myself, and I like dried figs a lot! I know on the fig forums it’s all about fresh, I myself prefer them dried. I dried almost all of mine last year and ate them all winter.
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I’m drooling here, people!
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