there are few fruit trees who can be defined as work horses, that means a reliable tree
which has the capability to produce big amount of good fruits year after year never mind
the flocculation in weather conditions and pests disturbances
long fruiting season is also favorable
on the other hand since it is meant for self consumption shelf life is not a big concern
such trees are my first option for planting near and around the hous
one of those trees is the fig
there are many cultivars and much more unregistered varieties
some are Caducous, Persistent, or Intermediate
big and small short and tall varieties exists
it can bear two times per year
fruits size here varies approximately from 3x2.5 (7.5x6.4 cm) to 1.6x1.2 (4x3 cm)
the color varies from green to purple, and inside there are also shades of red
most purple figs here has more complex flavor than the green ones
the size is an minor issue since you don't have to peel and there is no pit to spit
if picked completely ripe it is overwhelmingly sweet very soft with jelly to syrupy consistency and has no shelf life
if picked when firm with just a little give to squeeze the sweetness is suficient and you can enjoy the full fig flavor
acompanied by subtile tart undertone and succulent bite
at that stage the fruit can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days
eaten warm from the tree or served chilled it is yet a delicacy now as it was years ago
since the fig same as grape and others is covered with yeast spores and since that fruit is loaded with sugar
very soon it will begin to ferment at the bottom of the container where the moist is condensing
and will develop acrid souwer sweet taste that atracts fruit flays
if picked earlier when hard it will never develop full flavor and will stay bland and dry
early picked figs will drip sticky latex which is hard to wash after it dries out
some granmother recipies uses that latex as warts removal but I never had the honor to confirm it
in general the diferent between not ripe fig to over ripe one is about 2 days in a hot weather
Fig fruit short shelf life is forcing you either to eat everything and catch diabetes
or be generous like the tree itself and give most of it away to family friends and neighbors
one of our trees is planted near the road and became a rest spot for joggers
who wants to loose weight and than gain it all up again at the same exercise
Figs are good at breakfast lunch and dinner as a snack for tea or coffee
they won't turn your stomach when served with milk
and are good for drying, jam making, or cooking.
letting ripe figs on the tree is not advisable as they are growing in dense clusters chick to chick and don't drop when ready
ripe figs which begins to ferment will spoil the complete cluster and drip fermented sirup
all over attracting wasps and others
Fig trees are getting marked by the birds at the neighborhood and they are
feasting mostly on top fruits which are beyond man's reach
Pycnonotus, Sparrows, Mynas and more
birds don't eat the entire fruit when there is plenty
they just drilling into it and taking few bites, that birds made drills helps the sun to dry the top ripe figs
and prevent the fermented sirup issue
the timber is very soft and frequently susceptible to stem borers
since that tree is a dynamic grower and for every brunch lost to borer there are few new ones
in a way you can use the borers as an natural Pruning workers
yet those workers are very keen and may bring the tree down within a week, but the next year a new tree will
emerge at the same spot from the stem base and will bear few fruits that same year
Fig is a modest tree in terms of appearance and demands yet it is very generous in terms of fruits
we have here about 4 varieties, stem borers disturbed only one of them
over the last years Batocera rufomaculata was not seen around here
last autumn the wind brought down 25 years old big type fig tree
but we have already made two new ones from the late tree
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