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Just had my first fig |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Crapville
Posts: 13,162
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Just had my first fig
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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#2 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 76,851
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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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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 1,107
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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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#4 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Nottingham
Posts: 11,481
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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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#5 |
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,360
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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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#6 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 76,851
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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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#7 |
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 9,227
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Quote:
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. 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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#8 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: London
Posts: 16,810
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I've only ever had a fig roll
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#9 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 893
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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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#10 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 14,718
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I have a fig tree in the garden so get plenty of fresh figs.
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#11 |
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: UK and Canada
Posts: 5,451
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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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#12 |
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Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Crapville
Posts: 13,162
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#13 |
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Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 21,738
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Quote:
I cant eat figs knows they have a dead baby wasp inside them all.... yes all of them!
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#14 |
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Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Cambridgeshire
Posts: 1,279
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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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#15 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Nottingham
Posts: 11,481
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Quote:
I cant eat figs knows they have a dead baby wasp inside them all.... yes all of them!
Quote:
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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#16 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 76,851
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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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#17 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Nottingham
Posts: 11,481
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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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#18 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 20,499
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They have to be soft and squidgy,
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#19 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 4,456
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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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#20 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 205
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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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#21 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 205
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Quote:
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! ![]() 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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#22 |
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 9,286
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Quote:
Do they have a season ?
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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#23 |
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Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Wiltshire
Posts: 5,203
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Figs are just too sweet for me buds.
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#24 |
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 7,903
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Quote:
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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#25 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,236
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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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