By Sharon Omahen

University of Georgia

Georgians may have to wait a year to pick fresh Georgia
strawberries and blueberries, but if figs suit your fancy, it’s
prime picking time.

“Figs are one of the earliest fruits cultivated by man,” said C.
B. Christian, fig lover and northeast
director of the Georgia
Master Gardeners Association. “In Georgia, the prime
harvesting
season for fresh figs is mid-June to mid-October, so we’re in the
heart of the season.”

Pick when ripe

If you share Christian’s love of figs, he offers the following
harvesting tips to ensure the best-tasting fruit.

“Figs must be picked ripe from the tree, as they don’t ripen well
once picked,” he said. “A very firm fig is not ripe and will not
properly ripen further.”

On the downside, figs have a very short shelf life, he said. You
should eat or freeze them within seven to 10 days of harvesting.

“In most cases, this means you have about three days at most to
use them at home,” Christian said.

Members of the genus Ficus and the family Moraceae (the mulberry
family), figs can be used in a variety of ways, from preserves to
deserts.

Freezing tips

Georgia Master Gardener Dick Whelan freezes his figs for
year-round enjoyment.

“This is prime fig time, so today I have too many to eat. So I
wash them, towel them dry and store them in the freezer in
zip-locked bags,” he said. “Now, when I want figs in the morning, I
take out a couple and let them defrost while I’m preparing the
rest of my breakfast. This way I can enjoy fresh figs all fall.”

University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist Judy
Harrison recommends tray packing when freezing figs. To tray
pack, place clean figs on a tray and then place the tray in the
freezer.

“Once they’re frozen, you can store them together in bags in the
freezer,” Harrison said. “This way the figs don’t stick together
and you can easily defrost them two or three at a time.”

Harrison also recommends treating the figs with ascorbic acid to
prevent them from losing their fresh color.

To treat figs, dissolve three-fourths of a teaspoon of ascorbic
acid in 3 tablespoons of water. Sprinkle the mixture over 1 quart
of figs before tray packing.

“You can also use an antidarkening treatment like Fruit Fresh or
other commercial brands,” she said. “Just follow the package
directions.”

Canning and preserving recipes and safe storage tips for figs and
other fresh fruits and vegetables can be found at the National
Center for Home
Food Preservation’s Web site
(www.homefoodpreservation.com).

Add a fig tree to your landscape

If you’d like to add a fig tree to your home landscape, UGA
Extension experts warn that only a few varieties are well-adapted
to Georgia.

If you live in the mountains, select a protected site and try
Celeste or Hardy Chicago. Some varieties such as Brown Turkey
will produce some figs on the current season’s growth after being
killed to the ground by a freeze.

In Georgia’s piedmont, Celeste, Hardy Chicago and Conadria are
fairly well-adapted. South of the fall line, many varieties can
be grown, but Celeste and Conadria are two of the best. If you
want to extend the season with a late-ripening variety, plant
Alma.

There is considerable confusion about fig variety names, so UGA
Extension specialists recommend ordering plants only from
reputable nurseries in the Southeast.

Make sure the variety you select is suited for Georgia’s climate.
Never buy or try to grow the kinds of figs grown in California.
UGA experts say they require pollination by a tiny wasp that
can’t survive in Georgia’s climate.

The fig varieties recommended for Georgia are the common ones
that produce only female flowers and set fruit without
cross-pollination.