Scrumptious Summer Figs

Scrumptious Summer Figs

Scrumptious figs picked straight from the garden are a special summer treat. And this has certainly been a fabulous summer for figs thanks to the heatwave. Cook and food writer Nigel Slater (#nigelslater) agrees, recently posting ‘The figs on the terrace are loving this heat… it looks like this year’s will be the best crop ever.’

Although fresh figs abound in restaurants, markets and supermarkets, these plump fruits retain an air of mystery.

Meet the Figs!

Did you know the edible fig, Ficus carica, is a member of the mulberry family (Moraceae)? The genus Ficus comprises around 900 closely related species of mostly tropical trees, shrubs, and vines. The weeping fig, rubber plant and fiddle-leaf fig are popular houseplants that belong this plant group.

The name ‘Fig’ derives from the French figue, which derives from the Latin root ficus. The species name ‘carica’ means ‘of Caria’, an ancient region of SW Asia Minor – referring to where edible figs originated.

Figs in History.

Archaeological finds from a prehistoric village site near the ancient city of Jericho in the West Bank have shown that edible figs were being cultivated around 11,400 years ago – that is 1,000 years before wheat, barley and legumes were domesticated in the region!

The Bible often mentions figs. The story of Adam and Eve in Genesis tells us that after eating the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden ‘the eyes of them both were opened, and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons’.

Fig leaves were employed in art to cover the private parts of nudes in sculpture in painting.  We still use ‘fig leaf’ figuratively to describe a thing that hides something embarrassing or dishonest.

Medicinal Figs.

Delicious figs are rich in dietary fibre, potassium, calcium, and iron. The Roman author Pliny the Younger wrote, ‘Figs are a restorative, and the best food taken by those brought low by sickness’. The fruit eaten in excess is known for its gentle laxative qualities, with many a medicine cabinet housing its bottle of syrup of figs.

Fig Trees in Britain.

It is possible that the Romans introduced the fig tree to Britain, although most archaeologists think they just imported supplies of dried figs.

The first documented fig tree to be introduced to Britain was planted at Lambeth Palace in 1556 by Cardinal Reginald Pole – the last Catholic archbishop of Canterbury. This ancient White Marseilles fig tree is still growing in the gardens today!

If you want to visit the giant fig tree planted by Cardinal Pole:

https://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/about/lambeth-palace/visit-lambeth-palace-garden

Fig trees became popular in English gardens during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Figs in the Garden.

Fig trees are distinctive thanks to their large leaves that are often divided into five lobes. The dark green leaves are rough on their upper surface, and hairy underneath. The branches are silvery grey, and if you cut a stem they will exude a milk-white sap that is a mild irritant – so always wear gloves when working with a fig tree!

If you want a productive fig tree with dramatic foliage then consider Ficus carica ‘Ice Crystal’. It has very attractive deeply cut foliage.

Figs thrive when planted and trained against a sunny wall or under glass. Figs need free draining soils in full sun.

Planted outdoors in the open they form spreading trees that can grow to eight metres in height – However, there are slow growing cultivars that are suitable for container growing!

Ficus carica ‘Little Miss Figgy’ is a compact variety selected for its dwarf habit making it ideal for smaller spaces and patio gardens. It gets to a maximum 1.2m tall.

For practical advice on growing fig trees:

https://bobflowerdew.com/strawberries-and-figs

The Fruit.

The food writer Jane Grigson observed ‘shape is a good part of the fig’s delight’. Plump figs look sumptuous. You can grow forms with black, purple, red, green, white, golden, or striped skin, and with variable flesh colour too.

Once picked, figs only last a few days. They can be eaten raw, baked, marinated, or cooked in a tart. Figs are often dried as a way of preserving them. Dried figs are a good source of dietary fibre. However, nothing can beat the delicate perfume, taste and honeyed sweetness of a ripe fig picked straight from your own tree and eaten while still warm from the sun’s rays.

Why Have I Never Seen A Fig Flower?

Figs are technically known as ‘false fruits’. What we call a fruit is the swollen stem of a flowerhead (inflorescence). The flowerhead forms a hollow bottle with the tiny flowers hidden inside. In other words, the fig ‘fruit’ is really a hollow garden of flowers!

The true fruits of the fig are the many tiny kernels you find inside dried figs – the bits that lend them their crunch!

Wild figs are pollinated by tiny female gall wasps that get into the flowers through the small opening at the top of the fruit. The lifecycles of figs and their wasps are interconnected – it is sufficient to say that the Chalcid wasps cannot breed without the fig, and the fig cannot breed without the wasps.

If you want to learn about the amazing partnership between the fig and the fig wasp, watch the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fpKDtLjvaI

However, luckily for us, fig varieties grown in the UK produce ripe figs without pollination, they are therefore seedless. Varieties such as ‘Brown Turkey’, ‘Brunswick’, and ‘White Marseilles’ are reliable croppers in England.

In Conclusion:

If you have a sunny spot in your garden that needs an ornamental tree in a large pot why not consider growing a fig? And you too can enjoy picking your own fresh scrumptious figs!