September's Saving Grace #2


FIGS!!!
i love everything about figs. i even love the word "fig." i love their textures: smooth soft edible skins and their mouth-wateringly sweet pulpy insides with tiny crunchy seeds. i love their colors and varieties, their voluptuous curves and the big supple leaves of their trees. i love them soft and warm in the sun and i love them with cheese and in jams.
quite the sensual fruit!


figs are expensive at our local co-op. i buy them anyway as a treat sometimes for the sheer joy of them.
then i found out that my mom has a fig tree at the top of her driveway, and there are figs falling to the ground and figs galore ripening in the sun!
mom called them honey figs, but i think they are really desert king figs because of their bright red interiors. 
i just read that figs are unique because they have an "eye" or ostiole that is not connected to the tree and helps them communicate with their environment. Amazingly, the female fig wasp pollinates the fig by squeezing through this cavity!


my dad and i brought a ladder and met up at mom's house the other day to pick figs. 
i had a sleepy baby in the sling so i let my folks do the picking, and i did the enjoying :)





Some of the figs were slightly underripe (which is fine because they ripen quickly on my kitchen counter in this heat!) and release a few drops of a milky sap when they are plucked. It is called fig milk and it immediately reminded me of my breastmilk when it starts to leak. It has healing properties too. Intuitively that makes me think that figs are a good food for breastfeeding mamas, but that's just my heart and tastebuds talking!


Lucy found fig picking rather relaxing.

 Marm and I are going to make fig jam tomorrow! Stay tuned on that, and meanwhile, I'll be back soon with another of this hot dry month's saving graces.

And back to the subject of figs, people seem to either love them or hate them. How about you? Like, love, or hate em? Do they grow where you live? Make fun recipes with 'em? Know any fancy stories or folklore about them? Pray tell!


Comments

mmgood said…
i love these september grace posts! i showed jeff, fern and leo the picture of lucy in the pool yesterday and there was a unanimous, "Aaaawwwww". I can't stand figs (unless in jam or cookies) but I love that little honey fig in your arms! xo
Anonymous said…
I love figs! ANd when I have fresh ripe ones around they NEVER make it far enough away from my mouth to become another form!!!
Someone at work brought in a big bag of them from her yard - then my dad brought me a jar of homemade fig jam and then at my neighbor, she offered me a box of fig newtons (not a fan) ---so I looked up the spiritual significance of the fig. Fertility and prosperity. Well I'll take prosperity - but fertility is well behind me now, my kids are almost grown.
That picture is beautiful, fig beautiful. And so is sweet little baby ;)
GrittyPretty said…
ADORE FIGS!!! and have vivid memories of harvesting figs from trees at the Petaluma college campus when i was a kid. p.s. Your momma is beautiful.
Andrea said…
Some serious fig porn:) haha! Doug loves his fruit trees and sometimes he will get so excited or google pics of fruit or trees. I call it his fruit porn. Seriously though when he tells me how this or that is pollinated etc it really is a beautiful way of seeing food differently.
Barbara said…
I so enjoy figs and they grow really well here. I have three trees planted in my backyard and if the deer would stop eating the trees during the winter I might have some figs of my own again!
Janet said…
I am so happy to have ran across your sweet little blog. :) Yes, another fig lover, here!! They are hard to run across, here in north Louisiana...at the stores and farmer's markets.. but whenever i do find some, I get so happy. I had never eaten a fig, up until a few years ago, and my mama made some fig preserves... and i was hooked on those wonderful preserves. we were just talking the other day about trying to find us som figs, so we can make some preserves, soon.:) My mouth is watering, now. LOL :) janet
Teeny said…
We had a fig tree, we had to cut him down as the fruit was getting a)attacked by wasps or b)not fully ripening before going over. They are SO delicious though. SOOOOOOOOO delicious. glad you are getting some enjoyment in your September.
Eatlovemerry said…
The fig look so good! x
anne said…
my friend has a huge fig tree in her backyard. i always get some when i visit her, when they're in season of course. that is if those darn beetles haven't gotten to them first!

i love these pictures heather. your sweet little babe sleeping the warm sun is too cute!
Kimberly said…
You look like such a country bumpkin...Your mom looks absolutely beautiful in that picture. I love that the 3 of you were picking figs. Man...I wish I lived up there. :)
Amy Beatty said…
Those do look good! That baby bundle looks so cozy and big.What a fun family event. LOVE these sweet moments! Love you xo
Milla said…
figs crack me up! there's something inherently funny about them. I'm glad your finding so much to love with September and happy as always to see little Lucy. I also like that your Mom and Dad still have a relationship nice enough to go a fig pickin' together.

I like figs fine, but my sister LOVES them. She thinks they're the best ever basically.
Tracy said…
I think figs are yummy, but they don't grow here in Michigan, so I've only ever had them dried. (or in Newtons!) Fig jam sounds delicious!
Tracy said…
I think figs are yummy, but they don't grow here in Michigan, so I've only ever had them dried. (or in Newtons!) Fig jam sounds delicious!
Tera said…
LOVED!!!!!!!!! This mouthwatering post! You know I totally dig figs!!!!!!!!! xo
Missa said…
Having an awesome black mission fig tree in my backyard, I reeeeaaallly wish I loved them. Unfortunately, I'm with Mary and can only handle them in the form of jam or some sort of baked good.

I did make a couple of batches of fig jam last fall, though I think I'm going to try to tweak the recipe this season as it got a little too solidified and became more of a hard to spread spread.

I also found a super yummy fig newton recipe that I made a couple of times and am looking forward to digging up once our figs are ripe, getting close!

They really are such a strange and beautiful fruit.
Unknown said…
Good Day!
I'm not too into figs, but my husband loves them dried and stuffed with a bit of blue cheese paired with a black ipa. I am in love with your baby's bonnet!!! I have an almost 15 month old daughter who would look super cute in one of those. May I ask: where you got it from?
Love and Light!
Unknown said…
Good Day!
I'm not too into figs, but my husband loves them dried and stuffed with a bit of blue cheese paired with a black ipa. I am in love with your baby's bonnet!!! I have an almost 15 month old daughter who would look super cute in one of those. May I ask: where you got it from?
Love and Light!
moonshinejunkyard said…
Hi Meredith, your husband's idea of a fig treat sounds delicious! I can't remember where I got this pink bonnet but I'm sure it was thrifted or given to me. I looked to see if it has a brand name, but there's just a little tag that says 100% cotton. Sorry I can't help more, hope you find a cute bonnet for your daughter! And happy fall to you!

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