A-N-T-I-C-I-P-A-T-I-O-N!
The Wenches have been anxiously awaiting the moment when we’ll be able to pick our first fig. We’ve been waiting almost TWO years for this! Last summer we had a few figs but we lost our meager crop to the birds because we weren’t smart enough to net our little tree. This year we made sure to put the net on early! That’s Mugsy keeping an eye on the ONE mature fig. But it’s not quite ready yet. And you shouldn’t pick figs until they are perfectly ripe as they won’t ripen any further after they’ve been picked.
How do you know when it’s time? In Spanish we say that the fig is ready when it has the neck of a hanged man, the clothes of a poor one, and the eye of a widow.
The neck of a hanged man means that the stem has begun to dry out and the fig begins to droop. We have drooping!
The clothes of a poor man means that the skin of the fig has begun to wrinkle. We have wrinkling!
And the eye of a widow means that when you open up the fig it “weeps” a drop of syrupy sweetness. We have weeping!
Our first fig was absolutely worth the wait!
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11 comments:
Thanks for the info on when to pick figs. I just bought my first fig tree this year, no figs on it yet, but I have high hopes. Bet yours was delicious!
Have to confess, the post title had me thinking we were in for a little Rocky Horror (what can I say, I'm that old), but instead got a great cross-cultural horticulture lesson. And that fig looks really good. Oh, and tell Mugsy "Good Job" keeping your figs bird free.
Congratulations!
And thanks for the tip about when to pick....
Thanks, I had no idea when to pick the silly things and ended up biting into something not so yummy.
So glad I checked in on you two today, on this foggy/drizzly Sunday on the Island. We have two fig trees that came with the place and on has a fig that we have been watching. Had NO idea when to pick it, but now I do. I better go make sure the birds have not gotten it as it is not protected.
Woo-hoo! I love figs! Congratulations on the fine crop!
Elizabeth
Actually I prefer to harvest them a bit earlier. To me that is an over ripe fig. But hey, I bet that was delicious anyway ;-)
This is the most useful post on figs I've seen! I made the mistake of picking one too soon, and it was God awful.
This is hilarious AND informative. Thank you! I have a mature fig tree in the far back of the garden I keep eyeing. I know they take forever to ripen, and I know the scrubjays know about this tree, too! (I won't net as things get caught in them.) We will have to duke it out. They will probably get the ones highest up and hopefully I'll get the ones down low. :) Yours looks delicious! I hope I'm that lucky! Do you water your fig tree?? I never know how often I ought to. Thanks again!
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