Sadly, the fiddle leaf does not produce any fiddles, fruit, or flowers when grown indoors. The fruit that this tree bears, when grown outdoors, is not edible, unlike the common fig (Ficus Carica). Although the figs on these two different trees do have somewhat same size and form.
The Fiddle Fig can reach heights of about 15 meters when planted outdoors, but only about 3 meters when cultivated indoors. The size of the container and careful trimming can frequently be used to manage the size, form, and height of the indoor Fiddle Leaf Fig.
Is fiddle Fig fruit edible?
As owners of fiddle leaf figs, we adore those lovely, recognizable fiddle-shaped leaves, but we frequently overlook the fact that ficus lyrata is actually a species of fig tree. Therefore, occasionally, our fiddles will pay off!
Today, indoor trees—which are what the majority of us have—rarely bear fruit. But occasionally, in tropical environments, outdoor fiddles will produce tiny, rounded fruits that resemble figs.
These fruits aren’t edible figs like the ones we typically find in the produce area of the grocery store during the summer, nor are they like the mouthwatering Fig Newton filling. Those figs often come from Ficus carica, a relative of the fiddle.
There’s a good reason why ornamental fiddles are more common than fruit trees. The fruits have a poor flavor but are not poisonous. The skin of the fiddle leaf fig tree’s fruit is leathery even when it is fully ripe. They are supposed to range from bland to somewhat sour and have an unpleasant mouth-drying effect. They are not sweet like the regular figs we eat. Not very appetizing!
We’ve got you covered if you’re a die-hard admirer of fiddle leaf figs and want to understand more about this tree’s intriguing reproductive system.
Let’s first discuss the main cause of indoor fiddles failing to bloom or bear fruit.
Fiddle leaf figs are able to bear fruit.
Fiddle Leaf Figs produce fruit, right? A fiddle leaf fig hardly ever blooms or bears fruit away from its natural habitat. However, we’ve provided a picture of the fruit’s appearance (right). Instead of their ability to produce fruit, most owners appreciate these houseplants for their foliage and size.
Is fiddle leaf fig poisonous to people?
One of the most well-known and poisonous indoor plants is the philodendron. The leaves, which are also referred to as fiddle leaf figs, have crystals comprised of the poisonous calcium oxalate. A bite from a fiddle leaf won’t kill you if you’re an adult, but all philodendrons can be extremely hazardous to kids and animals.
Is the fig fruit toxic?
Similar to other plant species in the Moraceae family, exposure to ultraviolet light followed by contact with the milky sap of Ficus carica can result in phytophotodermatitis, a potentially dangerous skin infection. F. carica is classified in the FDA Database of Hazardous Plants even though the plant itself is not poisonous per se. [46]
Furanocoumarins are organic chemical substances that are known to cause phytophotodermatitis in people.
[47] Psoralen and bergapten, two furanocoumarins, are present in large amounts in common figs.
The largest concentration of any organic substance extracted from fig leaves is found in the essential oil of fig leaves, which has a psoralen content of over 10%.
[49] Psoralen appears to be the main furanocoumarin chemical in charge of phytophotodermatitis brought on by fig leaves.
[Reference needed]
Psoralen and bergapten are primarily found in the milky sap of F. carica’s leaves and shoots but not in the fruits.
[48] Psoralen and bergapten were not found in the fig fruit essential oil. [49] As a result, there is insufficient proof that fig fruits induce phytophotodermatitis. [Reference needed]
How should figs be consumed?
A fresh fig is one of the most unique things in the entire universe. They have an unbeatably sweet flavor and a remarkably soft, jammy texture. Furthermore, there isn’t a single correct manner to consume figs. Enjoy them raw, on a pizza that has been grilled and drizzled with honey, or stuffed with nuts and cheese.
No matter how much you enjoy them, you should move quickly. The season is very brief. They are available in early summer, or you can buy a couple during the main crop, which lasts from late summer to early fall. The remainder of the year, you can eat dried figs, but if you know how to consume them, fresh ones are preferable!
How to Eat Figs
Figs are best eaten raw, with the skin and seeds still on. If you like, you can also peel the figs and remove the seeds. You can also bake, broil, or grill the figs. But cutting the stem off and eating the raw fig is the quickest and simplest way to enjoy these treasures.
Can you eat fig skin?
Although some individuals don’t enjoy the texture of fig skin, it is nonetheless edible. Early-season figs have thin, delicate peels, whereas late-season figs have thicker, more robust skins. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin if eating the peels isn’t your thing. If not, simply twist off the stem and consume the entire fig!
Can you eat figs raw?
Typically, fresh figs are eaten raw. In fact, they are at their tastiest when picked fresh from the tree when still warm from the sun. Naturally, having access to a fig tree is necessary. Since figs have an unparalleled sweetness and honeyed flavor, we frequently avoid cooking them. Simply split them in half, top with some feta cheese or soft goat cheese, and eat.
But if they’re underripe, boiling them can bring out their sweetness and make them more juicy. To caramelize the sugars in cut figs, you can either place them directly onto a hot grill or under the broiler. When baked with cocoa and savory spices and filled with nuts, they can make a fantastic appetizer.
Can you eat a fig whole?
Although most fig recipes call for slicing the bloom in half to reveal the lovely interior, figs can also be consumed whole. (You read it correctly; figs are technically blossoms rather than fruits.) You don’t need to cut into them to remove anything because the seeds in the middle are fully edible. There’s really no excuse not to pop one into your mouth after twisting off the stem as you can eat the skins.
How to Buy Figs
The first thing to check for while purchasing figs is clean, imperfect-free skin. Avoid any figs with cuts or bruises on the skin. The figs should be soft if you gently squeeze them (be careful; it’s really simple to oversqueeze a fig here). The hue of the fig will differ according on the variety: Mission figs are a rich purple color, while Kadota and Calimyrna figs are green and yellow-green, respectively.
If you intend to eat the figs within a day, keep them at room temperature when you bring them home. Alternately, you can keep them for up to two days in a plastic bag in the coldest section of the fridge. Since they taste best at room temperature, you should take them out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before eating. Until the flesh softens, underripe figs can be kept at room temperature.
Simply wash the figs under cold running water when you’re ready to consume them. Take off the stem, pat dry with a fresh towel, and savor.
Are my figs fit to eat?
Follow these three guidelines to spot ripe figs on your trees and enjoy fresh figs at their best if you’ve ever wondered “When are figs ripe?”
Fruits known as common figs can be eaten fresh or dried and are simple to grow. To determine when your figs are ripe and ready to be harvested, use these guidelines and your senses.
Consider using garden netting to cover the fruit to prevent birds and other animals from eating your mature figs.
Ways to Identify Ripe Figs
SightGo based on color Your figs’ color shift is one of the first indications that they are getting ripe. Young, immature, and unripe figs are frequently tiny and have a green color. As the fruit ripens, the hue of types including Brown Turkey, Chicago Hardy, Celeste, and LSU Purple will shift from green to brown or purple. How can you rely on sight if the fig’s color doesn’t clearly change, as it happens in the case of some fig kinds, such as Kadota and LSU Gold, where the fruit’s mature color is still greenish? Read on!
Follow your look. As the fruit ripens, it will hang droopily on the tree. Regardless of the mature hue, this is true for figs. Firm, young figs have a tendency to stand apart from the tree. The fig will bend at the stalk where it is linked to the tree as it ripens and softens.
Observe the size. The size of the fruit will increase as it ripens on the tree. The mature size varies depending on the kind you are growing, however as they mature and ripen on the tree, all figs enlarge in size.
*The tree may be overbearing (try cutting off some fruit to lighten the load) or it may be dehydrated if the fruit does not increase in size. Additionally, particularly later in the season and in frigid climates, it could be too chilly to promote ripening.
Touch
Squeezing a ripe fig will reveal its silky texture. Firmness persists in unripe figs. This is due to the fruit’s incomplete ripening, which prevents the juices and sugars that are created when the fruit ripens from being fully present.
Taste
When ripe figs are picked directly from the tree, they are incredibly rich, sweet, and silky. Figs that are not yet ripe might be rubbery, dry, and flavorless. Eating a fig before it reaches its top is the best method to determine whether it is still ripe. The majority of people only consume unripe figs once before preferring to wait until they are fully mature before harvesting them.
How to Harvest Figs
A ripe, fresh fig will easily come away from the tree when it is time to harvest figs. Simply take the fruit away from the tree by grasping its base in your palm.
If not selected first, extremely ripe figs might even fall to the ground as a result of their increased size and weight.
The fig is not entirely ripe if the stalk starts to develop a milky white sap after it is harvested; however, if the fig has a fully ripe color, has increased in size, and is soft to the touch, it may still be pleasant and edible even if there is some milky white sap visible. Here, we advise you to give one a try and assess the flavor. Try leaving the remaining ripe figs on the tree for a few more days if they aren’t very sweet or tasty.
Reminder: Picking unripe figs and attempting to ripen them off the tree is not advised. Even though the immature fruit might soften after a few days at room temperature, its flavor might not be the best. However, in northern regions where frost or chilly temperatures may prevent a later crop of figs from ripening on the tree, this might be something to take into account.
When ripe figs spill juice or nectar while still on the tree, this is another indication that they should be picked!
Fig Fruit Facts
It’s crucial to be aware that fig trees may not have their entire crop ripen at once. Some fig tree kinds even produce two crops, referred to as the “breba” (fruit on growth from the previous year) and the “main crop” (fruit on growth from the current year). The breba crop ripens first, early in the season, followed by the main crop in fig trees with several crops like Chicago Hardy and Brown Turkey.
Ficus fruits can be consumed?
The beautiful tree with a dramatic spreading habit is the edible fig (Ficus carica), which has attractively lobed leaves and edible fruit. It is a fruit tree that has been cultivated for a very long time. It hails from Asia Minor and has frequently naturalized in the Mediterranean area. It thrives in rocky areas, such as ancient walls, and is a long-lived plant that develops an appealing twisted appearance in older specimens.
This lovely deciduous tree enhances any yard greatly with its lovely foliage patterns, mouthwatering fruit, and broad, overlapping leaves that offer wonderful summer shade. It produces two crops of fruit each year: the first in the middle of summer on wood from the previous year, and the second in the early fall on growth from the current year. Usually, the tree begins producing fruit two years after planting. It has a modest growth rate of roughly 25 cm per year and can reach heights of 8 m and spreads 8 m.
Full light is required for growth, and it is so drought-tolerant that seedlings can even sprout from stone walls. In well-drained soil, it thrives.
Water usage: Once established, the Edible Fig doesn’t need to be watered. In general, additional watering is necessary for trees to establish themselves, particularly if they are planted after the rainy season. Irrigate twice a week during the first year with 2025 liters of water. A tree needs irrigation in the amount of 40 liters once a week throughout its second year. Trees typically become established starting in their third year, and some, like the Edible Fig, don’t need any additional irrigation.
Appearance: When young, the edible fig has a widely spreading growth habit. The leaves have a rounded form, can grow up to 30 cm long and wide, are deeply divided into three to five lobes, toothed, heart-shaped at the base, glossy green above, rough with hairs on both sides, and turn yellow in the fall. The bark is smooth and gray. The little, fleshy green receptacle that both the male and female flowers are hidden inside ripens to a brown or purple color and forms the tasty fig.
Tips for use: A fruit-bearing specimen tree that is suitable for rural gardens and is used as an ornamental tree in patios, however its fruits can fall to the ground. Where fruit and leaf drop don’t matter.
The edible fig requires relatively little maintenance. Just to create and open the tree’s branches requires minimal pruning. For size control and to increase the main crop, it responds well to pruning during the dormant season.
The tree needs very little fertilizer for the best fruiting because nutrients encourage fruit quality reduction and development.
Comments: Although the fruit can be eaten fresh or dry, some people may have skin irritation from the leaves and milky sap. The edible fig tree’s roots are also invasive.
WEPIA (Water Efficiency and Public Information for Action), a project being carried out in partnership with the Ministry of Water and Irrigation and sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development, supports the CSBE project on water-saving landscapes (USAID).