Fig trees are one of the oldest cultivated fruits in the world. They are also enjoying increasing popularity in this country. But if the harvest doesn't turn out as desired and the fruits fall from the branch early, hobby gardeners are faced with a few question marks.
Can figs continue to ripen if they fall from the tree?
Figs cannot continue to ripen once they have fallen from the tree. They are one of the non-ripening types of fruit and do not develop a sweet aroma if they are harvested unripe. Figs that are ripe on the tree develop the desired taste through optimal care and location conditions.
Tires due to storage?
The plant hormone ethylene plays an important role in fruit ripening because it promotes ripening. Ripening fruits such as bananas, apples and pears produce the ripening gas and expel it through their peel. 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. Storing them with an apple only accelerates the aging process. There is no sugar formation.
Problem case fig
Figs belong to the group of non-ripening fruit varieties. Unripe fruits that fall from the tree early spoil over time. Although they become a little softer, they do not develop a sweet aroma. The pome fruits must ripen on the fig tree, which requires good care and optimal location conditions.
Using tips for green figs
Unripe fruits prove to be a perfect ingredient for making syrup. However, since they produce milky juice, which is slightly toxic, you should boil the pulp before processing. Gloves protect against the skin-irritating liquid.
Procedure
Score the individual specimens crosswise on the base and use a kebab skewer to poke several holes into the outer skin. Place the fruit in a sufficiently large pot and fill with water so that the figs are completely covered. After cooking for 15 minutes, pour off the broth 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
- Let the mixture steep overnight
- Add cinnamon stick and simmer mixture until foamy for 20 to 30 minutes
- add a dash of lemon juice
Special features of Ficus species
The care of fig trees proves to be complicated, so that fruits often fall from the branch unripe. In Central Europe it is advisable to plant early ripening fig varieties. Alternatively, you can grow your fig bush in a greenhouse to ensure mild conditions for longer. However, there is another reason that supposedly causes green fig fruits.
Pollination matters
Cultivated figs that are sold 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 was promoted. With exotic wild forms it often happens that the fruit-like structures fall from the tree prematurely and unripe. They are bottle-shaped flowers that look like small figs and have not been pollinated. Special gall wasps, which no longer occur north of the Alps, are responsible for fertilization.
