Well here comes again in the summer time, mid of July is just the right time for me to harvest ripe figs in the yard. Anyway there are varieties of figs like Brown Turkey fig, Calmyrna, but what we have is Celesta figs. It is the only one figs tree behind the building and it's very productive since last year.


 It is best time to harvest in the morning because I won't get sweat when the sun goes high up. The Celeste figs are small, brown to purple in color when they ripe.I found that figs grown extremely well almost all the branches.

They grown low, with no thorns and soft leaves. Some of them grown ripe on the top branches of the tree so I have to climb up the ladder to pick them up. That tree like a shade and cool that made my dog laid under the tree while I was picking up the figs.

 
The ripe figs will separate easily from the tree when you lift them upwards from their normal drooping position. The unripe figs are green or yellow color, harder more firmly attached, and do not droop.






  I got two buckets full of figs for today and they are more to pick them up for the next day. The fresh figs won't last long at room temperature so I put them in the tight container and stored in the refrigerator just for several days.

There are many options to make them last long because the cool temperature will make them mushy and the taste won't be good. Last summer I made fig newtons and some fig preserved after kept them a few days in the refrigerator. I am thinking now to make fig newton bar tomorrow and dry them up in the dehydrator. The dried figs can be eaten in the winter season.

Juicy Figs after cutting them in half
For those people who have never eaten them; The fresh figs taste are totally different than fig bars, dried figs or figs preserved sold at the store. They have unique taste and texture. The texture of fresh figs are soft like a ripe peach, the smoothness on their skin, their flesh taste are lusciously sweet and there is no pit because the seeds are so small. Another important thing is the figs are a good source of dietary fiber, potassium and manganese. You see how juicy they are in the container. Yummy!