Figs galore

It's fig season.
I can't say that I had a lot to do with figs before I came to La Palma, except maybe when I might buy some dried figs from the supermarket at Christmas.  So no, I can't say that fresh figs had a starring role in my life before - but now, wow, I love them!

And that's a good thing because we have 32 fig trees on our west facing terraces. The terraces, seven of them, are all quite narrow due to the steepness of the land and it's good to have these trees growing with their network of fine roots holding the soil together.  The leaves have nearly all fallen off now we are approaching autumn but many of the trees still have plenty of fruit on.

Some of the figs are a bright green colour and others a deep purple, a mix on the same tree.  At first, we collected them and took them to the wholesaler about 40 minutes drive away.  He picked through them and informed us that only about half were any good - some were not ripe enough and they don't ripen once taken from the tree, and others were too ripe, so in fact there are only a couple of days difference.  Quite a delicate operation. 

We did return again with another batch and did much better with around eighty percent being accepted but after that we decided to dry them and then eat them. 

Nowadays, we eat them fresh from the tree while they are still warm from the sun.  Or we put them in the fridge so make a refreshing snack.  Of course, there are plenty for our friends and guests.

And then, there are our other friends, the chickens who are very partial to a fig and in fact their run incorporates a fig tree, although it never has any figs on it and its main benefit for them is the shade and for perching on. 

Canarian Proverb: Never fall asleep under the fig tree.  (Don't tell the chickens)