Talk about an heirloom fruit. Figs (Ficus) have been around almost forever. The
California Fig Advisory Board (CFAB) claims figs were mentioned in a Babylonian
hymn book from about 2000 BC. We all know that fig leaves were used as clothing in the garden
of Eden. CFAB claims the fig is mentioned in the bible more than any other
fruit and that figs were probably one of the first fruits to be dried and
stored by man.
Technically, the fig is not really a fruit. It's actually an inverted
flower, or multiple fruit, enclosed in stem tissue instead of ovary tissue.
Botanically this is called a syconium. Only the small seeds would be
considered fruits. The fig completely ripens and even partially dries while
on the tree, without falling off. You'll know a fig is ripe when it begins
to droop on the branch.
The tree itself is a rather coarse-leaved, shrubby looking deciduous plant,
anywhere from 10 to 30 feet tall. A native of Asia, figs can be made at home
in any warm, dry climate. Propagation is generally done by cuttings of
2-3 year old shoots, although grafting is also popular.
Harvest season is usually early fall. If
you're going to find a fresh fig, that's when to look. However, since figs
naturally dry to some degree, they can be packaged and sold throughout most
of the year. I should state here that I have been looking for a fig all
week and I have not found one. Perhaps they were all scooped up for the
Thanksgiving holiday, but I suspect there weren't that many to begin with.
The fig is an old fruit, but its popularity has been higher. It has been
the subject of renewed interest, probably because of marketing, and after
years of turning up my nose at figs, I decided to give them a try.
Fig trees could not survive in my climate, yet there are people who grow them. Some bring them indoors and under lights for the winter. Others perform the amazing feat of burying the whole tree and then digging it up again in the spring. This is something to see. I think that's what convinced me to try figs. If someone is that passionate about a fruit, it must have merit! Figs are one of the best sources of fiber, among fruits and vegetables. They are also high
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