Fruit Maven » Fig

Christmas Fig

Fruit Maven — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 23:10:12 +0000

If you happen to be the person I accidentally elbowed at the farmer’s market while yelling “OMG! Are those Christmas Figs?” and barreling my way to the table, then this is the fruit for you!

So…yeah. I might have run someone down at the market this week.

In my defense, it was crowded and I was cold. Which doesn’t sound like a good reason to elbow someone I suppose, but it’s been around 60 degrees all week here in San Diego! Yes that’s right. Under 60 degrees at times. If I have to wear socks for one more day, who is going to see my pedicure?!? Who? Warm it up weather man or I am going to have to start posting toe polish pictures on my fruit blog and NO.ONE.WANTS.THAT.

Wait. What were we talking about? Oh right…figs. There should not be figs at the market in December. Should not. And because I was so cold, I thought sure they were some sort of desert mirage style illusion. I had to get up to that table before they disappeared. You can imagine my delight when they turned out to not only be real, but to in fact be the best tasting fig I personally have ever had. Apparently, and this will seem logical once you hear it, they are called Christmas Figs because after their main crop in the late summer, they produce another little bumper crop in early December. Thus the name of course. And thus the crazy, however brief, scene at the market.

Luckily [ahem] the victim next to me heard all the ruckus as I was bombarding the man at the stand with questions and was so intrigued that he bought a bag full for himself. You are welcome dear stranger. You are welcome. Also may I recommend some Arnica for that bruised rib.

APPEARANCE 3.5 out of 5 stars

Plump little green fig with pale yellow dots and gloriously deep red ruby flesh. Christmas indeed!

AROMA 2.5 out of 5 stars

Smells like plants. There is something fresh and almost herbal, but not quite.

TEXTURE 3 out of 5 stars

Gushy and soft with grainy tendrils and crunchy little seeds.

TASTE 4.5 out of 5 stars

Deeply sweet raspberry flavor.

OVERALL 3.38 out of 5 stars

Eating this fig is like eating a little pocket of the best raspberry jam you have ever had except without the cloying sugary sweetness of jam and with a complicated base of earthy flavor. I like to spread them on toast or crackers with a drizzle of honey to really glam it up. Then I call it “breakfast” and pat myself on the back for being so healthy.

FRUIT Fig	PEAK Late Summer + December	PURCHASED Farmer’s Market
VARIETY Christmas	GROWN Vista, California

Sexy Fruit for Valentine’s Day

Fruit Maven — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:18:37 +0000

There is something sexy, enticing and adventurous about fruit. In some ways trying a new fruit is like falling in love. It requires abandon and risk. You have to search for it and once found, you have to be patient and careful so you don’t bruise or damage the beautiful nectar inside. Sometimes it works out and you have the most amazing experience, and sometimes you just end up wondering why you wasted so much time admiring something so dull that when you really think about it, kind of smells like vomit.

And so in the spirit of love and Valentine’s Day, I say ditch the flowers and party it up with FRUIT. There are lots of ways to go, so you have no excuses.

Sweet Hearts:
Seckel Pears, Cherimoyas

Not-So-Traditional Flowers:
Mangosteen, Ugli Fruit

Symbols of Love:
Passion Fruit, Pomegranate

Seductive Aphrodisiacs:
Figs, Apples

Direct and to the Point:
Banana, Papaya

Brown Turkey Fig

Fruit Maven — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:03:48 +0000

If you like your steak cooked to medium, your favorite ice cream is vanilla, and you always wear jeans and a plain t-shirt, then this the fruit for you!

APPEARANCE 4 out of 5 stars

Dark brown, blending to green, nice bright red center pulp.

AROMA 2.5 out of 5 stars

Mild and grassy.

TEXTURE 2 out of 5 stars

Thready, soft, and a little mealy.

TASTE 2.5 out of 5 stars

Not particularly sweet, very mild, almost bland but pleasant I suppose although I wouldn’t say I like it.

OVERALL 2.75 out of 5 stars

This seems like a very middle of the road fig, nothing to go on about but at least it isn’t off putting. I might try this again if it was grilled up and doused in a bunch of other flavors like honey and ricotta, or mashed up in a cookie. Mmm – cookies.

FRUIT

Fig

VARIETY

Brown Turkey

PEAK

Summer-Fall

GROWN

California

PURCHASED

Farmer’s Market

NOTES

This person claims there are two schools of fig eaters/lovers — those who like Brown Turkey Figs and those who don’t. I can’t tell if I like them or not from re-reading what I wrote above so I guess that makes me some sort of non-committal third school. Here is a lot more info about figs and a list of many varieties.

RECIPES

Grilled Pork and Fig Kebabs
Plum and Fig Flognarde

Panache Fig

Fruit Maven — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:17:58 +0000

If you are a bourgeois metro kind of guy who uses words like “incroyable”, then this is the fruit for you!

APPEARANCE 3.5 out of 5 stars

Yellow and green variegated stripes – like a pear shaped kindergarten zebra OR if you turn it upside down, a totally cool hot air balloon. Dark raspberry pulp.

AROMA 3.5 out of 5 stars

Lovely strong sweet aroma

TEXTURE 3 out of 5 stars

Soft and melting with little crystals throughout

TASTE 4 out of 5 stars

Sweet figgy goodness – the way I assume fig jam would taste if I had ever tried fig jam.

OVERALL 3.5 out of 5 stars

As far as figs go, this is a delicious one, full of sugar and fun. It tastes like figs and berries all mixed into one. I would (and did) spread this right on toast with honey. (What? you don’t mix jam and honey? Wimp!) Still just a fig though, not a favorite for me even on its best days. Sorry fig lovers of the world. So sorry.

FRUIT

Fig

VARIETY

Panache

PEAK

Summer-early Fall

ORIGIN

Origin

GROWN

Koral’s Tropical Fruit Farm
Vista, CA

PURCHASED

Farmer’s Market

NOTES

Also called Tiger Fig. Dried figs were first sold in a commercially manufactured cookie in 1892. And thank goodness or else most of us here in the US would have never even dabbled in the world of figs. I don’t know about you, but if it comes as a cookie then I’m in. Also – I know it is a bit late in the season to post a fig, but I saw a few at the Farmer’s Market this week, so they are just barely hanging on. If you love love love figs, you can probably still get a few mediocre ones if you really try.

RECIPES

Pizza with Figs, Prosciutto, Gorgonzola, Balsamic, and Arugula
Figs and Dried Cherries Poached in Vanilla-Honey Syrup with Pistachios

Osborn Prolific Fig

Fruit Maven — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:38:29 +0000

If you are the kind of person who eats things like spirulina, brewer’s yeast or liver, because you like it and not because you have to for some reason, then this is the fruit for you!

APPEARANCE 2.5 out of 5 stars

Greenish brown skin, squatty, pale pink inside

AROMA 2 out of 5 stars

Smells like a vegetable

TEXTURE 2 out of 5 stars

Soft, some crunch from the seeds, threads, not appealing

TASTE 2 out of 5 stars

Not very sweet, bland, blah

OVERALL 2.13 out of 5 stars

This is the first fig I have ever tasted raw and I am not impressed – if I didn’t have six more kinds of figs sitting in front of me, I would never try another one based on this. So dull.

FRUIT

Fig

VARIETY

Osborn Prolific

PEAK

August

ORIGIN

Origin

Unknown

GROWN

California

PURCHASED

Farmer’s Market

NOTES

This is an heirloom fig variety. The Osborn Prolific Fig is also called Osborne’s Prolific, Arachipel, and Neveralla. Growing notes.
Fresh figs do not keep well and can be stored in the refrigerator for only 2 – 3 days.

RECIPES

Using Fresh Figs
Fig, Goat Cheese and Caramelized Onion Sandwiches