Tuesday, August 18, 2020

feeling figgy

A tall, verdant fig tree abides in the very far corner of my backyard. I glance at the three-lobed leaves outside my bathroom window as I draw the blinds every morning. Alas, this tree is "figless". I have read that it might take six years for a tree to produce fruit, if this is true this tree has one more year to prove itself.
 On the farm we had a fig tree that sat in front of my little white spinning house. Every summer it produced a most outstanding fig crop. What a delicious treat to pick one of those luscious sun-warmed figs off the tree and bit into its fleshy sweetness.
               
             This is the only photograph I could put my hands on quickly to show our fig tree there in the background.
                   That's four year old  Rose with Tar in front.
A fig tree grows on the side of the road where I have walked  for many years. I've watched figs bud, mature, and grow ripe year after year. Memories of eating fresh figs tantalized my taste buds every August. No one has ever gathered these figs, they were simply food for the birds, or they just sadly rotted on the branches. This year I decided I would try to find the owner of this tree. One day she was in her yard and told me to help myself. And I did! I believe fresh figs might perhaps be an adult taste, but if you enjoy the taste there is nothing quite like them.


And today I made a very easy fig preserve. I do wish you could taste them. I wiped the pan out with a bit of bread and I had to close my eyes as I slowly chewed its figgy sweetness. These jars of fig preserves will be a taste of late summer this cold winter.
And there are more figs still waiting for me to pluck and bring home to make even more sweet goodness.

4 comments:

Elisabeth Leake said...

Oh, I remember Tar. He was a scary dog to me, but I do have fond memories of the farm. Figs are good, but I don't get the chance to eat them often.

Polly said...

I have never had a fresh fig, but I love fig preserves. One of my friends introduced me to this delightful treat: take a "wheat thin" type of cracker, spread it with a bit of cream cheese, then top with a small dollop of fig preserves. Delicious! They do have such a unique taste; my children don't care for them, but my husband and I do!

gretchenjoanna said...

Your fig tree requires patience in the same way as my plum trees. But the other day I ate the first ripe fig on my tree that is loaded. I'm so happy you got some figs to eat while you're waiting for yours!

Karen said...

How nice that you were able to meet the tree owner and make good use - something you'd really like, out of something she was not using. I am not particularly fond of figs but my husband likes them dried, and also wrapped in bacon and baked! I hope your tree fulfills it's potential next year!!

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