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I wrote a thank you note this morning to a friend who sent us a gift of her canned ‘Sweet Spiced Pickled Figs’ & Blueberry Lime Jam.

I LOVE pickled figs, one of my favorite things. We put them on our New Year’s charcuterie board when we had family for the day. They were a perfect addition & something out of the ordinary. We haven’t opened the jam yet, but I’m sure it will be delicious.

Meanwhile, I have been thinking about a fig bush & how to get one. Two figs (& I am sure there are more) are mentioned as hardy in zone 7: Chicago Hardy & Brown Turkey. I am connsidering buying a cutting rather than attempting to do it myself ... I don’t know if I will be back at the Old House at the proper time for taking a (Brown Turkey) cutting.

The big issue when I have a successful cutting is where to plant the fig. I have plenty of open ground that is south or southwest facing, but the fig would not be protected from the incessant wind. There are no micro climate spots like against a building. The more sun the better & against the barn wall is more northeast & not enough sun.

Anyway, lots to think about. Here’s a link with 2 videos on cuttings:

https://offthebeatenpathnursery.com/pages/rooting-fig-cuttings

Also fig tree care & instructions which I found very helpful - if in a pot the first 2 years, I could put it up against the garage which would be perfect (sun, micro climate), I just can’t permanently plant it there.

https://offthebeatenpathnursery.com/pages/fig-tree-care

Two items on my “Want to can one day list”: pickled figs & pickled watermelon rind.

I think you meant to say, ‘Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine...” :) (Love that song!)

I used to order the Brown Turkey Figs for my customers up here in Zone 5a and I had no returns on them through the years, so they must’ve thrived.

Many planted them in pots so they could be moved to the perfect spot in the summer months, then they were wrapped well for the winter and moved into a garage or other outbuilding for their dormant period. You’d need a caster with wheels or a dolly to lug it around, but it could be done.

Qiviut; Figs. Pots Versus In Ground. In the winter what is your lowest temperature?

Temperatures here in winter get down to perhaps -20 every few years. Generally gets down to -10F to -15F for some period of time. (I am located on the KS MO Border zone 6B 1050 Elevation, next to Kansas City. )

I currently have 3 figs growing in ground, Chicago Hardy, Olympian, and Nero 600. I get figs from the Chicago Hardy ( same as Purple Bensonhurst) and the Olympian. I have a hardware cloth collar around the stems to about 16 inches out to protect the roots from vole damage. In the winter I cut the tops back to about 5 inches above the ground and throw some bags of leaves over them to protect them from cold. In the spring they become big weeds once they start to grow. I prune off the shoots and allow 3 strong stems (ladders) grow. The figs will form in the junction of the stem and the branches. It branches vigorously and you need to keep pruning or it will get away from you.

My observation is that Chicago Hardy is a marginal eating fig. Its virtue is that it grows where other figs will not. (Chicago...New York.) The squirrels seem to prefer them to the other figs so are something of a "Trap" Crop.

The Olympian was originally collected in WA state and is hardy. (Picture of mine below.) It is probably descended from a European Brown Turkey. It produces a much better tasting fig. I think I got about 100 figs that ripened; I may have managed to pick about 60 that the squirrels left. Ate split in half with goat cheese a drizzle of honey and some cinnamon, or, or quartered and in salads.

The Nero 600 was collected from a tree located at at 600M / 1800Ft Elevation in Northern Italy. It produces figs but so far they have not ripened before we get frost. They would be the best tasting. Again, these grow in-ground on my lot. (Picture of the Olympian Fig)

Potted Figs; My better/best tasting figs are the figs I grow in 5 gallon white pails that I can bring in in the winter. I have about 12, but I am looking to reduce this number. (I am the only person in the household that eats them.) I could provide some suggestions on some of these varieties. Please let me know!

My Mama, God rest her soul, loved the figs from the trees that her (very legal) immigrant parents planted. I wasn’t a fan, but then, I was a kid. Turned my nose up at plenty of (food) things, and learned the hard way to stop doing that.

Now I enjoy figs! ;)

I LOVE pickled watermelon rind! Not sure if I can still have it, since I’m allergic to watermelon now - a sad fact of being overexposed as a youngster. It might be worth the try! They are pickled after all!! It might be enough of a difference that a Benadryl and some Zantac (two different allergen receptors) might stave off the need for an epi-pen, which I would be sooo happy to test as long as hubby agrees. It would be really cool if I could have something watermelon again. He might not agree.