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Just had my first fig


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Old 20-10-2014, 13:33
TheTruth1983
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It wasn't bad at all although I imagine it would have tasted better fresh from the tree.

Anyone had a freshly picked fig before?
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Old 20-10-2014, 14:23
swingaleg
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I was a bit disappointed when I had fresh figs............it wasn't as nice as the dried ones that you have at Christmas or with your breakfast cereal
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Old 20-10-2014, 15:53
tangledinblue
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Just my taste but I find figs are nice eaten with something else, I like them stuffed with cheese, goats or Stilton and I am really really fond of the Caffe Reale at Pizza Express, just figs in spicy syrup with a dab of mascarpone and coffee, but so good.
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Old 20-10-2014, 16:54
Shrike
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I loved the fresh figs off the tree I had in Turkey -better than the ones you now get over here (though I do quite like those). Of course it could be down to individual taste - especially as figs come in different varieties just like apples/pears etc.
I was never keen on dried figs anyway.
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Old 20-10-2014, 16:58
boozer3
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I had fresh figs for the first time last year at Borough Market. They were so nice I ate 5 or 6. I wasn't aware of the (ahem) side effects. The train journey home was agonising.
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Old 20-10-2014, 19:50
swingaleg
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I think I'll have to try fresh figs again........I'm sure I saw some in Sainsbury today

I'll put it on my list !

Do they have a season ?
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Old 20-10-2014, 20:15
Toby LaRhone
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I loved the fresh figs off the tree I had in Turkey -better than the ones you now get over here (though I do quite like those). Of course it could be down to individual taste - especially as figs come in different varieties just like apples/pears etc.
I was never keen on dried figs anyway.
Same here - in Turkey!
I was wondering what the crap in the grass under the tree was, then I realised they were overripe figs.
Those still on the tree were beautiful.
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Old 20-10-2014, 20:39
dd68
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I've only ever had a fig roll
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Old 20-10-2014, 20:48
rufusrain
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I cant eat figs knows they have a dead baby wasp inside them all.... yes all of them!
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Old 20-10-2014, 21:36
bobcar
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I have a fig tree in the garden so get plenty of fresh figs.
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Old 21-10-2014, 00:54
Wolfsheadish
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Every now and then I'll try one - because I'd like to like them. Unfortunately I don't. Very good for you though.
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Old 21-10-2014, 11:49
TheTruth1983
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I've only ever had a fig roll
Same here before yesterday
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Old 21-10-2014, 13:10
walterwhite
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I cant eat figs knows they have a dead baby wasp inside them all.... yes all of them!
Eh???
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Old 21-10-2014, 13:12
miss_astrid
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I've never tried fresh figs before, but just recently I've taken to baking them for fifteen or so minutes with a caramel sauce, and having them with a bit of mascarpone mixed with icing sugar... mmm, they are absolutely delicious like that.
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Old 21-10-2014, 14:49
Shrike
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I cant eat figs knows they have a dead baby wasp inside them all.... yes all of them!
Figs are fertilized by a tiny wasp, called (rather predictably!) a fig wasp. The female burrows into the young fig fruit, lays eggs and dies. The eggs hatch, develop into wasps, mate and the males die, the females leave and go to other figs carrying pollen with them.
So a fertilized fig must have dead wasps in - though the fig secretes enzymes that dissolve the bodies.
Mind you I'm not sure all figs must have wasps as I think the fig can develop without them, it just won't have any fertile seeds.
So I think it unlikely a fig from the UK will have wasps as there are so few trees for the wasps to get to. Figs from the med where there are lots of fig trees almost certainly will. Bon appitit!
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Old 21-10-2014, 15:01
swingaleg
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I got a pack of 4 figs this morning........had one after breakfast

TBH, it's just bland........not much taste of anything

I cut it into quarters and sucked the flesh out.........I take it you're not meant to eat the purple skin ?

I'll finish them but probably won't buy any more.........they're not as tasty as the dried ones..........
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Old 21-10-2014, 16:44
Shrike
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You can eat the skin.
The ones I've had in the UK have been quite subtle in taste - I suspect they are picked a bit early so they can survive the journey over. Do try them abroad if you can as they have a much stronger flavour then.
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Old 21-10-2014, 16:48
alan29
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They have to be soft and squidgy,
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Old 21-10-2014, 23:49
Grabid Rannies
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When you cut them in half, I think they look rather rude

I eat the skin personally. The other day I tried making figs on toast - basically just scooping all the flesh out onto the toast and then mashing it about until it was of a 'spread' texture - it worked quite agreeably I'd advise making sure they're as ripe as possible though.
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Old 25-10-2014, 22:14
Landdrifter24
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I grow my own Brown Turkey Figs, this year was a bad crop though, only got 10 off my trees, although i have about 50 really late growing immature ones still on the branches now, if i can keep them wrapped up well and we don't have a harsh winter (although brown turkeys are very hardy winter plants), they might mature next year and i might be looking at about 100. Taste wise the ones that did mature were lovely, but not up to previous years, which has confused me a little bit as the summer was very mild although with some cracking rainstorms ... as for the taste, last year was the most "vintage year" i've had, they tasted like peach and strawberry and were very juicy.

Super market figs always seem gloopy and lack any of the flavour of my fresh ones, so i don't bother with them anymore, even the farmers market i go to they have fresh ones and although i could just be biased they don't even stand up to mine.
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Old 25-10-2014, 22:29
Landdrifter24
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Figs are fertilized by a tiny wasp, called (rather predictably!) a fig wasp. The female burrows into the young fig fruit, lays eggs and dies. The eggs hatch, develop into wasps, mate and the males die, the females leave and go to other figs carrying pollen with them.
So a fertilized fig must have dead wasps in - though the fig secretes enzymes that dissolve the bodies.
Mind you I'm not sure all figs must have wasps as I think the fig can develop without them, it just won't have any fertile seeds.
So I think it unlikely a fig from the UK will have wasps as there are so few trees for the wasps to get to. Figs from the med where there are lots of fig trees almost certainly will. Bon appitit!
Almost every food that has been harvested will have insect in it in one form or another, i read on website a while ago that stuff like peanut butter and tomato sauce can have fruit fly eggs in them etc etc

As for the Fig wasp and figs, you get a variety of different figs and some do pollinate this way it's called mutualism you can't have those figs without the wasp, UK grown Figs are self fertile though and don't need the fig wasp, which is good news as you don't really have Fig wasps in the UK.
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Old 26-10-2014, 08:34
Smokeychan1
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Do they have a season ?
We see them over here late summer to October but the way they keep fruit now it is hard to know how old the fruit is once it reaches the shelf.

Two years ago I was lucky enough to get some packs of 4 on the reduced shelf, 30p a pack. I bought the lot and made a fabulous jam - the seeds add a wonderful crunch - and still have a pot left.
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Old 26-10-2014, 08:43
davor
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Figs are just too sweet for me buds.
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Old 26-10-2014, 09:46
Lucy Lou
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Every now and then I'll try one - because I'd like to like them. Unfortunately I don't. Very good for you though.
... me too I keep giving them a try now and again but am always disappointed its the same with olives I really want to like them too.
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Old 26-10-2014, 10:28
indianwells
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I made my Christmas pudding yesterday and I always use dried figs in that. I've tried fresh ones but I don't think much of them really.
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