My figs are starting to really pop now to the point that I have been sharing them with many family and friends .  The amazing thing is the overall reaction of many of the people when they eat them and immediately seem to be transported to years gone by when they were young and stories start to fly about their early fun childhood.  One older man actually started to get a tear in his eye and it gave me a great feeling that I could do this for people with such a simple fig.  Is it just me or has anybody else had similar experiences that they can share with the forum?

Most people I talk to get excited when I talk to them about figs.  Some will tell me with great excitement about the figs they ate when they were younger.  Others have memories of a relative who grew them.  There are, however, a lot of people in the south who view the trees as the source of an incredible mess and lots of hassles with the birds.  

The funniest thing is my dad.  When I tell him figs are ripening he gets very excited... almost a boyish amazement comes over his face.  When he finds out, however, they are not the large, black figs (he's like Martin and many others), there is a hint of disappointment on his face as well.  Every time.

Joe,

It's funny.  After I posted my response, I went outside and did some fig maintenance.  When I came back inside, I had a text message with pictures of my nieces and great-nieces picking figs in my Texas orchard.

Just 2 days ago, my parents came to visit.  My father and I went out and picked a plate full of figs, several varieties.  Our entire family sat in the kitchen and sampled the figs.  My dad said "that just made my day. I wish your grandfather could see this", which in turn, made my day as well.  I wouldn't know much about figs without my grandfather.

Interesting what a difference in family heritage means.  I am new to fig growing and eating and have a small collection of 2nd year trees.  I have shared my figs with almost 20 family or close friends who, like myself, had never before tasted a fresh fig in their lives.  They are amazed that figs taste so good (past exposure-dried string figs from Turkey or Greece, or Fig Newtons), and that they can be grown in PA.  

Joe - My grandfather had a couple fig trees when I was little, and they were totally disgusting. I didn't even want to get near the trees. Times have changed.

Joe, my grandfather was born in Madeira, and raised apricots in the Santa Clara Valley. He had 1 big fig tree, a Mission, right near the barn. 2 of us together could not wrap our arms around the trunk of that tree. We kids would climb it to get the ripe ones, long after the apricots had finished. I can still see that tree, like it was right outside my window.

Growing up in an Italian family on the East Coast meant many trips to the Grandparents house especially on Sundays.  Both of them had extensive gardens with one fig tree each that seemed to be the focal point along with the grape vines with a picinic table under it.  The figs didn't seem to taste different but maybe that was because we all had starts from the same tree that one person shared with others.  Each year my father and I would cover the trees with hay and tar paper since we had a roofing company and access to the paper.  Like so many other things,the trips to the Grandparents every week stopped but the memories of the fig tree is still there.

Taste being equal, I do prefer a smaller fig. To me they are more bite-sized treats than eating a piece of fruit.

Fig trees make people nostalgic, myself included.  The reason I grow now is because of the childhood memories of my great-grandfathers' tree in the Bronx.  Wish I could go back to that time.

hi,
No old memories here, but two weeks ago, I had 3 ripe figs of the strain "unknown green longue d'aout". Those figs are as I like them : damn huge and with a strong berry-jam flavor. I had one fig weighing at 140 grams.
Of course, I come home and we had an unexpected visit from the mother in law - once in the year that is bearable . Well, the 3 girls (g'd ma vegan - no meat- , the mum, squirrel our daughter ) were already by the table, so I offered one fig to each of the ladies.
My mother in law said that the fig reminded her of the young age of my wife when they were eating ripe figs by the Mediterranean coast.
Not that bad, a fig grown in Zone7 doing well when compared to the figs of southern France !
Of course, if I was a bad boy, I would have asked: And which strain of figs were you eating down there ?
I now have a proof  that my wife is peeling my figs just to get me mad ! Why ? Because her professor in all and fig eating does not peel them !!!