What to do with unripe figs?

[bunn]

I don't think the second flush of figs is going to make it to ripeness, given that the weather has gone very autumnal. I should take the rest of the figs off to get the tree ready for next year, but it does seem like a waste as they are really quite large. I wonder if you can make chutney with them? Appalling apple year this year, so I've made no apple chutney and have lots of jars.

Not sure what to do with all the grapes either, but at least those are ripe and sweet so I can just keep munching them off the vine.

Comments

[na-lon.livejournal.com]

Hm... figs... You could try putting them in a basket with some bananas. Bananas are supposed to give off a chemical which ripens other fruit. It might be worth a try.

Also - aren't figs supposed to ripen in their second year?

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Well, mine don't (ripen in the second year). I've tried: they just hang on and on and finally fall off in late may, thus delaying the new season's crop. I've found removing the fruit in autumn encourages the plant to start making new figs earlier in spring, so they get loads of time to ripen properly.

This lot on the tree now is the second flush - I did get some very ripe and yummy ones in August.

The banana trick is intriguing, but I suspect these are just a bit too small and haven't made enough sugar yet. May be worth a try though.

I have found a bunch of recipes for green figs, but they don't make clear how ripe they should be, or if they really mean unripe figs rather than figs of a naturally greenish hue.

[king-pellinor.livejournal.com]

You can make chutney out of anything. If you can use unripe tomatoes, I'm sure you can use unripe figs.

Just make sure you test it on Polo first, though :-)

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Catch Polo eating anything made of something green!

My worry is that figs are quite latexy till they are ripe so the chutney might be a bit rubbery! Still, I might give it a go anyway.

[chainmailmaiden]

If all my cookery books weren't still packed I'd probably be able to give you some good recipes. I'm almost certain I have a green fig chutney and several other ones that could be adapted for under-ripe ones.

If you do try making chutney and it turns out to be inedible 'cos of the latex it might make a good natural glue :-)