However, with a bit of knowledge fig variety identification can be easy and valuable in picking the right species for the right area. The common fig is indigenous to an area extending from Asiatic Turkey to northern India and is cultivated in warm climates. Of course, the fig would not be allowed in the United States now but it got here when folks weren’t concerned about such things. Harvest the fruit gently to avoid bruising. You can differentiate edible fig trees from other members of the ficus family by leaf shape. Look for soft, almost squishy skin, that may split when squeezed gently. The common fig is a deciduous tree. That said, cooking them can bring out their sweetness and make them extra juicy, especially if they’re underripe. Other varieties include ones that have a golden (Calimyrna), black (Mission) or even green (Kadota) skin. The fine hairs help protect each leaf from the sun and drying winds by slowing water evaporation from the surface. I know about the differences in the way they are grown, but I wasn't sure if it really made a difference in the figs nutrition, or if it was all pretty much the same. When buying figs, the first thing to look for is clean, unblemished skin. The rubber plant (Ficus elastica), from which rubber is derived, has 10 to 12-inch-long leaves with an elliptical shape and smooth sides rather than the deep lobes of the edible fig. Figs will grow in many types of soils, but they need a site free of root-knot nematodes. When you get the figs home, keep them at room temperature if you plan to eat them within a day. Fig wasps grow in common fig caprifigs but not in the female syconiums because the female flower is too long for the wasp to successfully lay her eggs in them. As a result, you do not need to peel the fig before eating it. Otherwise, just twist off the stem and eat the fig, skin and all! No matter how you enjoy them, you’ll want to do it fast. It is easy to spot them, as the leaves are clear, lively green with thick veins and prominent stem. Fig trees produce two crops every year, but only one of them may be edible. Step 3. The Reese’s Advent Calendar Is Simply Perfect for Peanut Butter Lovers, How to Make Ma’amoul, a Date-Filled Cookie from the Middle East, How to Make Sweet and Nutty Mexican Tea Cookies, Do Not Sell My Personal Information – CA Residents. Alma figs aren’t much to look at but the fruit has excellent, rich flavor. Within the large ficus family (Ficus spp. Figs are known to be one of the healthiest fruits. The topside of an edible fig tree leaf has a distinct fuzzy or bristly appearance. Figs have a mildly sweet taste and can be enjoyed fresh and on their own. It ripens late in the season. How To Tell if a Fig is Ripe:... How To Grow Muscadine Grapes. Brown Turkey produces a crop of large, tasty figs over a long season. You’ll find that early season figs have thin, delicate peels while late season fig skins are thicker and more robust. In this short excerpt from Gardeners’ World, Monty Don is harvesting figs. The fruit we love to eat is actually inverted flowers. Skip any figs that have gashes or bruises on the flesh. However, the site should receive a minimum of 8 hours of sunlight daily during the growing season. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. If you do not like the texture of the skin, you can peel it off before eating the fig. While fig trees can tolerate partial shade, you’ll have the best results if the trees are placed in full sun. Allergies . Adriatic Figs. You can enjoy dried figs the rest of the year, but they taste better fresh if you know to eat them! Step 2. Some other ficus species are evergreen, retaining their leaves year round. They have an incredibly soft, jammy texture and an ultra-sweet flavor that’s hard to beat. They’re about the size of your thumb, filled with hundreds of tiny seeds, and have an edible purple or green peel. Stay on the safe side and avoid use of medicinal amounts. A couple of sites even scream it is toxic (and warn you about spines it does not have.) Of course, that requires access to a fig tree. You’ll find that early season figs have thin, delicate peels while late season fig skins are thicker and more robust. I have no idea what’s a caprifig at this point. This shape is also described as palmate for its resemblance to an open hand. If you pick a fig fruit too early, it will taste horrible; ripe fruit is sweet and delicious. Taste of Home is America's #1 cooking magazine. As long as the fruit is still perpendicular to the stem, it is not ready to be picked. If a female fig wasp enters an edible fig, she eventually dies from exhaustion or starvation. Don’t squeeze figs to test for ripeness. The fiddle leaf fig (Ficus lyrata), an evergreen ficus, has large fiddle- or violin-shaped leaves. Unripe figs will stand straight out from the branch, defying gravity, while ripe figs begin to sag downward. How Do You Tell If Figs Are Ripe? As the Huffington So a fig farmer winds up with caprifigs full of wasp eggs and edible figs full of seeds. While she spends most of her time writing these days, she still exercises her culinary muscles on the regular, taking any opportunity to turn local, seasonal ingredients into beautiful meals for her family. The skin of the fig is edible. If you’re growing your fig in a greenhouse, you might get two crops during the summer months, with the previous year’s fruitlets ripening earlier. Look for signs the figs are drooping on the branch. Ripe figs are delightfully rich and sweet with a soft, smooth texture when they are fresh from the tree. 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