In Season

Figs

Even though figs originated in Asia, today they are grown across the globe and, lucky for us, right here at Powell Gardens!

Even though figs originated in Asia, today they are grown across the globe and, lucky for us, right here at Powell Gardens!

Eden’s first fruit
Figs are one of the oldest cultivated crops in the world. The fig is mentioned on stone tablets as a staple food in Egypt dating back to 2700 BC and has been associated with Greek culture. We know figs are an ancient fruit because fig leaves were the very first clothing selection for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

Hurry
Fresh figs are always a rare treat. Their sweet succulent flesh melts in your mouth like no other fruit. Tender, plump and luscious, the fig possesses a honey-like sweetness with a velvety flesh and crunchy edible seeds. This fresh treasure is available only for a few short weeks in late summer. Just make sure to eat them quickly; left at room temperature they only last a couple of days. They will last a few more if properly refrigerated, but like the season itself, their lifespan is all too brief.

Selection and Storage
•    Choose figs that are plump and heavy for their size. Their skin should be shiny and blemish-free and the fruit fragrant. A ripe fig will be slightly soft and (if picking your own) starting to bend at the neck.
•    Buy only ripe figs! They DO NOT ripen after harvest.
•    Handle figs gently. Caress and coddle them as they bruise so easily. Avoid damaging their fragile bodies.
•    Store figs on a single layer of paper towels covered in the fridge—but remember they only last a few days.

Grow your own
Here at Powell Gardens we are successfully growing more than 10 different fig varieties in the ground—not in the greenhouse. Figs will produce one crop late in the summer or early fall. We have found no real disease or pest problems and once established they require very little maintenance.

So which ones?
‘Black Mission’ seems to be the most widely grown and sold variety but I believe there are so many more worthy varieties. Try growing or finding one of these varieties to eat because they are each uniquely spectacular:
•    ‘Chicago’—a delicious dark fig that consistently produces large crops in our area
•    ‘Lattarula’ or ‘Italian Honey’—a big, yellow fig with a luscious sweet juicy flavor and honey-colored flesh
•    Peter’s Honey’- a small, light lime green, thin-skinned fig with HUGE flavor and amber flesh
•    ‘Stella’(my favorite) - a large, sweet yellow fig with purple-red interior
•    ‘Negronne’—an almost black fruit with the darkest red flesh.

If you are fortunate to get your hands on a few pints of fresh figs this season, embellish them with this exotic-sounding but absolutely easy and delicious dessert.

Drunken Figs with Black Pepper Granola
Adapted from Cooking Light

Figs:
1 cup water
1 cup honey
¼ cup anisette liquor (or pastis or ouzo)
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp salt
24 fresh figs, quartered

Granola:
2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
½ tsp ground black pepper
Salt to taste

Other:
¼ cup mascarpone cheese

Figs
In a small sauce pan, bring the first five ingredients to a boil. Place figs in a shallow dish; add hot syrup to dish. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature; then cover and refrigerate overnight.

Granola
In a large, nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add sugar and increase to medium-high heat. Cook until sugar browns lightly; about 2 minutes. Add oats, nuts, pepper and dash of salt. Stir to coat. Cook 2 more minutes, stirring frequently. Arrange mixture in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 325 degrees until toasted, about 16 minutes. Stir halfway through. Cool completely.

To serve
Use slotted spoon to remove figs from liquid. Divide figs evenly among 8 bowls; top each with ½ cup granola. Spoon 1½ teaspoons mascarpone on each serving. Serves 8.

Barbara Fetchenhier walked into her dream job at Powell Gardens 14 years ago and is currently the Fruits and Nuts Gardener for the Heartland Harvest Garden. Her true passion is growing edibles. She spends her ‘down time’ at Fetchen’ Honey Farm, a 20-acre paradise where Barb and her husband raise free-range meat and egg-producing chickens. Barb is also a Johnson County Master Gardener.