It is the end of August and, after several months of waiting, peering upwards through the curtain of thick, leathery leaves, we are finally able to pull our first ripe figs from the tree. They are satisfyingly heavy and warm in the palm of my hand. They don’t even make it as far as the kitchen and are eaten, with a wedge of crumbly Stilton or a spoonful of goat’s cheese, at the patio table.
Fresh, ripe figs epitomise the hottest of summer days. Stepping out onto the hot patio in flip-flops, you pluck them from the tree to be eaten outside later during the long, almost Mediterranean summer evening, glass of wine in-hand, candles in hurricane jars, alongside fresh food in all the vibrant colours August can produce.
By now, we would normally have had a bumper harvest, but the cold start to summer this year seems to have put our established fig tree on the back foot (as it has our tomatoes, as well). Usually, at this time of year, we are looking for ways to use-up a glut of figs: roasted with duck legs and Barolo, as Nigel Slater recommends in Tender – Volume II, or softened in a pan with dry Marsala and served with pork chops, from a favourite recipe from Diana Henry’s Simple. (Figs are also a staple of our winter cooking, when they have been dried into small, wrinkled parcels, for using in mince pies and fig pudding: our – aka Nigel Slater’s – Christmas cake simply would not be the same without dried figs, giving each mouthful a satisfying bite.)
I probably don’t need to tell you that the fig is not native to these shores: its languid leaves and sensuous fruit speak of warmer climates: the Mediterranean, and western and southern Asia. The plant is ancient, probably one of the first to have been cultivated for food for thousands of years.
Most varieties don’t ripen readily in the UK, but some – especially ‘Brown Turkey’ – can offer a plentiful harvest given the right conditions. You’ll want a warm, sunny, sheltered spot and a large, well-drained pot that will restrict the root system. Oh, and a long, hot summer, but even the most diligent gardener can only control so much! Our own ‘Brown Turkey’ – regretfully now trapped in the ugly plastic container its roots have turned into a permanent feature of our garden – is one of our more reliable harvests each year, despite its north-east-facing position: don’t make our mistake, and plant it up into something beautiful quickly.
Even if your tree produces figs, that is no guarantee that that they will ripen. Check beneath the leaves regularly for any fruits that are larger, begin to droop on the branch and turn shandy-brown, but wait until they are fully ripe before you pick them: they don’t ripen once picked. You will know when they are ready for picking because they will be very soft, and will detach easily from the branch if lifted upwards.
Any figs that are still unripe at the end of the season are best discarded and removed from the tree: despite some advice you might read, they are unlikely to ripen the next year, and will be damaged by any frosts: removing them ensures that you’ll get more new figs when the summer months come back around.
Tonight we are enjoying our mini harvest (with Stilton and Prosciutto – we’ve included the recipe here), though we hope to receive another harvest from my mother, who (fortunately for us) doesn’t eat figs – the in-laws (who do enjoy figs) are understandably less generous. But, if you are only fortunate enough to have one fig from your tree this year, I urge you, don’t wait until you find a recipe and ingredients: devour it immediately.
Nothing seems to celebrate the end of Summer better than the taste of a fig plucked warm from the tree.
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