Fig trees are among the oldest cultivated fruits in the world. They are also enjoying increasing popularity in this country. But if the harvest is not as desired and the fruit falls from the branch early, hobby gardeners are faced with a few question marks.
Figs do not ripen
Tires from storage?
The plant hormone ethylene plays an important role in fruit ripening because it promotes ripening. After-ripening fruits such as bananas, apples and pears produce the ripening gas and expel it through their skin. Even after picking, they form sugar in the pulp and become softer.
Pineapples and cherries are among the species that do not develop this organic compound themselves. If they are stored together with an apple, the aging process will only be accelerated. Sugar formation does not take place.
Problem case fig
Figs belong to the group of non-ripening fruit varieties. Unripe fruit that falls from the tree prematurely will spoil over time. Although they soften a little, they don't develop a sweet aroma. The core fruits have to ripen on the fig tree, which requires good care and optimal site conditions.
Tips for using green figs
Unripe fruits turn out to be the perfect ingredient for making syrup. However, since they contain milky juice, which is slightly poisonous, you should boil the pulp before processing. Gloves protect against the skin-irritating liquid.
method
Score each specimen crosswise on the bottom and poke several holes in the outer skin with a skewer. Place the fruit in a large enough saucepan and add water to completely cover the figs. After a cooking time of 15 minutes, pour off the brew and rinse the harvest. The cooking and rinsing process is repeated one more time.
Make syrup:
- Dissolve 750 grams of sugar in 250 milliliters of tap water
- Simmer the figs in the syrup for a quarter of an hour
- Leave the batch to soak overnight
- Add the cinnamon stick and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until fluffy
- add a dash of lemon juice
Peculiarities of Ficus species
The care of fig trees proves to be complicated, so that fruit often falls unripe from the branch. In Central Europe it is advisable to plant early-ripening fig varieties. Alternatively, you can grow your fig shrub in a greenhouse to ensure milder conditions for longer. However, there is another reason that supposedly causes green fig fruit.
Pollination matters
Cultivated figs, which are offered in specialist markets, are parthenocarpic. They develop fruit without the flowers being fertilized. These forms are the result of long-term breeding in which a mutation has been encouraged. With exotic wild forms, it often happens that the fruit-like structures fall prematurely and unripe from the tree. They are bottle-shaped flowers that look like small figs and have not been pollinated. Special gall wasps, which are no longer found north of the Alps, are responsible for fertilization.