Can I just boast a little on behalf of our fig tree, please?

[stealthsquiggle]

..there was a thread a while back where the OP was asking about fig trees and lots of people said "don't expect figs"

well, we picked a dozen huge (at least twice the size of the ones you get in the shops) ripe delicious figs yesterday and there are loads more to come.

I love figs - and only DD and I eat them!

Ooh, that sounds fantastic. I'd love to buy a fig tree.Where are you in the UK? We are in the North East. Would we stand a chance of growing on in asheltered spot?

we inherited a fig tree and my dh did a severe prunning 2 years ago and thought we had killed it but it has fruit on it again.

I have never eaten a fig or indeed know how too Help needed please: How can I tell when they are ripe to pick and how do I eat them?

Sorry to be dim. It seems a shame to waste the fruits(which is what we did last year !)

Mrs weasley, even tho you are just one of many harry potter names on the site, I always think of you as the real Mrs Weasley. So now I am picturing your garden at the Burrow and thinking how nice the fig tree must look there and why hadn't I noticed it before.
Make sure the gnomes don't get all the figs.

Don't waste them MrsWeasley they are delicious (and cost anything up to 70p each in the shops!)

wait until they are dark purple and squidgey to the touch - then cut them off with a knife, trim off the stalk bit and just eat them... they go well with creme fraiche, can be roasted with ham, etc, etc but our first dozen have just been scoffed (by me, DD and DM)

Just realised I forgot to warn nursery that DD (9mths) was stuffing her face with fresh figs yesterday

Crisis - we are in the Midlands - you never know, global warming and all that - give it a go - they are pretty trees even if they don't fruit!

I am the real Mrs Weasley (I wish)
Have de-gnomed the garden this morning .

Thanks, stealth. Will do. We've got a mild spot by a wall that might do, tho I doubt we will get fruit. LOL at warning the nursery. DS1 had beetroot suop before a day at nursery once and the resulting red wee was a cause of comment.

That's good, then - you can "Accio" the figs from the top of the tree instead of having to send your DH up a ladder like I did (he doesn't even like figs )

Mrs Weasley.

mmmm - lucky you, figs are lovely. There is a huge fig tree that over hangs the village car park where we park for school. I always try to get the space under it and pinch a few now and again. (It's a holiday let place and they get wasted otherwise )

Congratulations on fig tree!!!!
There is a nice-looking recipe for a fig and pine kernel tart in the 3rd Naked Chef book.

Which one is the 3rd one, Kathy? I think we have them all...

In the unlikely event that I get bored of just eating them I was thinking of fig ice cream so that I can save some for winter!

how big are they when they turn purple?

Happy Days with the Naked Chef.

Actually have just checked and realised the tart doesn't actually have figs in it, it has Greek fig tree honey (!) (or any good honey) and you serve it with caramelized figs.
He calls it Jethro Tart.

ours are maybe 6-7cm in diameter but they could be a lot smaller.

If they are teeny tiny I think they might be next years fruit as our tree has those too - but I am happy to be corrected by any experts!

Just ate the first fig on my tree 2 days ago that frist of the season is alwayes best. the only problem i have is getting to the figs before the bird, bees and the worst are the wasps they get to them often before they are ripe.

Thanks to stealthsquiggle. We ate our first figs yesterday. Lovely

OMG,I would bloody love a fig tree. Am with jealousy.

God,you make me bloody sick Malory with yer garden.

My fig tree is known by my neighbour as 'magic fig tree'! Last year I picked over 20lbs!! It got a severe pruning last year (took on a mad gardener who obliterated my preparations for fanning the tree up the wall! The good side of this is that several prunings rooted and now many neighbours/friends have 'son of magic fig tree') so have less crop (5 lbs so far)as they dont grow on new growth.

Top ones have to be picked from the upstairs windows and I have a special long pole with a blade and a fabric sack - Wolf tools.

The v small ones are often best taken off in winter as we don't get enough sun for two crops. I have to pick mine the day before they get ripe or the birds get them.

Last year I made fig jam, fig chutney, bottled figs in white rum (nigella) Jamie's hot cross bun, marscapone and fig thing, wrapped in pancetta for some foodie friends, grilled drizzled in honey, barbecued..I prefer them ripe and warm straight off the tree.

Happy figging everyone.

OMG Alycat.
Once again,am consumed with envy.

that would explain what has happened to mine then. we have only been in garden (and house ) 3 years and hubby did a severe pruning (trying to kill it off I think!) so this year I was surprised to see it fruiting! Its quite small and I can pick from the ground (no ladder needed).

Should I prune in autumn or leave!

we've been eating copious quantities of figs too
hurrah
my tree is against a brick building and facing west, FWIW
old tree though

we use an apple picker (long long long stick with a sort of basket at the top) to get the high ones - it is about 20ft high!