Register  |   | 
 
Encanto Farms Nursery > Topics > Fig Ice tea
 
 


Reply
  Author   Comment  
FMD

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 1,327
Posted Reply with quote  #1 
We've gotten in the habit of having a cold glass of fig leaf tea with dinner for a few weeks. I dried a bunch last night from the alma twins.


photo 2.JPG




photo 1.JPG 

Attached Images
jpeg photo_1.JPG (566.92 KB, 4 views)


__________________
Frank
Tallahassee, FL Zone 8b  
 

North Florida Figs

javajunkie

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 1,523
Posted Reply with quote  #2 
I'm still a little scared to try it because of the cat pee smell.
__________________
Tami
SE Texas
FMD

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 1,327
Posted Reply with quote  #3 
Not at all, Tami. The dried leaves and the tea have a remarkably fragrant aroma.
__________________
Frank
Tallahassee, FL Zone 8b  
 

North Florida Figs
bullet08

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 6,920
Posted Reply with quote  #4 
frank, 

how do you dry them? wash then sun dry them? or in oven?

edit: try infusing with figs? 
__________________
Pete
Durham, NC
Zone 7b

"don't talk to me about naval tradition. It's nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash." - sir winston churchill
"the problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." - the baroness thatcher

***** all my figs have FMV/FMD, in case you're wondering. *****
***** and... i don't sell things. what little i have will be posted here in winter for first come first serve base to be shared. no, i'm not a socialist...*****
javajunkie

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 1,523
Posted Reply with quote  #5 
How are you drying them?
__________________
Tami
SE Texas
FMD

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 1,327
Posted Reply with quote  #6 
Our oven has a "dehydrate" setting but I'm sure you can "bake" at the lowest setting for a few hours with the same results. I haven't tried drying them in the sun yet but that should also work.

Pete, I haven't tried infusing with figs yet. You mean like vinegar or olive oil?
__________________
Frank
Tallahassee, FL Zone 8b  
 

North Florida Figs
javajunkie

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 1,523
Posted Reply with quote  #7 
How do you stop the "bleeding" after removing the leaves? I know mine are bleeding terrible just from pinching.
__________________
Tami
SE Texas
bullet08

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 6,920
Posted Reply with quote  #8 
i was thinking more in the line of tossing figs in some sugar and let it sit in the fridge for awhile.. maybe cut them in half first, then add them into boiling water and mash them. let them cool for about 15 min and strain the figs out. oh.. add the tea leaves somewhere in there too.. i should give some fig taste in the tea.

edit: bit of lime or lemon peel might add interesting note... i'm just thinking.. have to see if i'll have enough figs for this kind of thing.
__________________
Pete
Durham, NC
Zone 7b

"don't talk to me about naval tradition. It's nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash." - sir winston churchill
"the problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." - the baroness thatcher

***** all my figs have FMV/FMD, in case you're wondering. *****
***** and... i don't sell things. what little i have will be posted here in winter for first come first serve base to be shared. no, i'm not a socialist...*****
FMD

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 1,327
Posted Reply with quote  #9 
Tami, I really don't bother stanching the  bleeding as I harvest from large established trees. I agree, though,  it is sad seeing the poor thing pouring out gobs of white tears and giving me that look of betrayal.
__________________
Frank
Tallahassee, FL Zone 8b  
 

North Florida Figs
ohjustaguy

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 324
Posted Reply with quote  #10 
Why do you dry them? Most herbs I use make good teas from the fresh leaves. It seems like drying is if you want to store. Do fresh fig leaves not work for tea?
__________________
San Jose 9b
http://www.kevinsedibleyard.com/
rcantor

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 5,724
Posted Reply with quote  #11 
Given how irritating the fresh latex is I'd want to dry them, too.  :)
__________________
Zone 6, MO

Wish list:
Galicia Negra, De La Reina - Pons, Genovese Nero - Rafed's, Sbayi, Souadi, Acciano, Any Rimada, Sodus Sicilian, any Bass, Pons or Axier fig, any great tasting fig.
FiggyFrank

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 2,712
Posted Reply with quote  #12 
I still have a tub of crushed dried fig leaves.  I made a few cups when I had a cold this past winter.  Lots of honey makes for a nice treat.  I'll bet lemon is a great addition.
__________________
Frank
zone 7a - VA
Aaron4USA

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 2,969
Posted Reply with quote  #13 
Tami, the Fig leaf tee has a aroma of Vanilla and coconut mixed... you'll be surprised how gentle of a green tea it is :)
Norhayati

Registered:
Posts: 341
Posted Reply with quote  #14 
Yes Aaron, they do have coconut aroma. I like it better than the mulberry tea eventhough they are from the same family.

Norhayati
__________________
Norhayati Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Wish list: Black Madeira 
genecolin

Registered:
Posts: 1,542
Posted Reply with quote  #15 
Frank that looks great. Pete's idea of adding fresh figs and lemon sounds interesting. I've had the fig leaf tea a number of times and tried mulberry leaf tea once and found that the fig leaf makes a more pleasant drink. Fig leaf is suppose to have an effect of blood sugar and so is mulberry leaf. My wife is a diabetic and was having bad side effect for using Metforum (sp?). She got off of it and started taking a mulberry leaf supplement and low and behold, her blood sugar is lower and more stable on the supplement. Now she is also on other medication but they alone didn't control her sugar but with the added mulberry supplement, she right on track and amazed her Dr.
"gene"
__________________
From the bayou,
"gene"

zone 9
Houma, La.
FMD

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 1,327
Posted Reply with quote  #16 
That's just great, Gene! I did read that fig leaf tea helped control blood sugar but didn't actually know anyone who benefited from it. My wife suggested we start marketing it since there's nowhere is commercially available.
Metformin can cause gastro-intestinal symptoms in a lot of patient. Glad your wife is doing well without it.


My wife actually brews the fig leaves with some lemon grass. The combination is really tasty. We drink if without sugar.
__________________
Frank
Tallahassee, FL Zone 8b  
 

North Florida Figs
greenbud

Registered:
Posts: 230
Posted Reply with quote  #17 
Frank MD thanks for sharing this information.  Since I have started pinching after 5 leaves I've got all sorts of new ones coming out. 

Frank zone 7, did the fig tea just soothe the cold or do you think it had a healing effect? 

This weekend I picked a bunch of nettles, we have them everywhere, and boiled them to deactivate the stingers.  I didn't use any spices or oil just to see what they tasted like.  I did not find them tasty. 

I will go to the local drugstore and get an A1C test done and if it comes back higher than recommended I will definitely remember the post about blood sugar.  Thanks! 
HarveyC

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 3,294
Posted Reply with quote  #18 
Frank, I made my first batch tonight and thought it was "okay".  I was thinking maybe I'd add sugar to it but my wife doesn't care for things very sweet so maybe it's just me.  I happened to get a couple of stevia plants today and may use that in the tea.  I haven't cared very much for the powdered stevia.
__________________

Harvey - Correia Farms
Isleton, CA (Sacramento County) USDA zone 9b, Sunset zone 14

http://www.figaholics.com
https://www.facebook.com/Figaholics
musillid

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 1,507
Posted Reply with quote  #19 
Kevin, yes you can use fresh and when you pinch back a tree, plan it near meal time and garnish with the pinched tops, or toss them  in a salad. People with a sensitivity to the alkaloids should not try this, though.
__________________
Dale
non compost mentis in Zone 6a
susieqz

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 971
Posted Reply with quote  #20 
i've only been harvesting at season's end, when the leaves have dried on the tree.

i find fig leaves added to hot green tea make a delightful cuppa.
__________________
susie 
wish list:  nothing. i can't grow cuttings  . right now, i have  6 trees showing no signs of fmv. i'd like to keep it that way' 

i was told that if i couldn't deal with fmv, i should grow peaches, so i got a peach tree to live with my clean figs.
swizzle

Registered:
Posts: 137
Posted Reply with quote  #21 
I dry my fig leaves on top of the refrigerator. I only have to leave them there a couple of days and they will be dry enough to crumble into a storage container. It makes wonderful tea Frank. Guess I'll have to try it iced.
ThaiFig

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 179
Posted Reply with quote  #22 
I'm a coffee guy mostly, but I tried some dried "Australia" fig leaf tea today, and was very pleasantly surprised.  I think it could become a habit :)  My leaves were sun dried,  "Australia" has huge and fragrant leaves.
__________________
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009030195236 Wish list: Bourjasotte Grise Dark Portugese Granthams Royal Hollier Hative D’Argenteuil Smith Black Triana
adoresfigs45

Registered:
Posts: 254
Posted Reply with quote  #23 
Ah now I have a use for Mr. Nasty,  my fig tree.   I love iced tea and I will just get some of his leaves,  leave him naked to the elements for punishment, and dry them in a pan on the lanai dining table.   You guys are awesome.  Joyce
don_sanders

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 219
Posted Reply with quote  #24 
I learn something new every day.  I had no idea fig leaves were edible.  With all of the discussions about the latex causing issues, I never would have thought to eat a leaf.  Searching now, I see that there is even fig leaf ice cream.
__________________
Don - Columbus, OH. Zone 5b/6a Wish list: Rafed/Adriano's Genovese Nero, Your favorite fig.
DesertDance

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 4,518
Posted Reply with quote  #25 
People soak the leaves and wrap fish in them for the BBQ.  Many ways to use our trees IF the critters leave something for us.........

Suzi
__________________
Zone 9b, Southern California. "First year they sleep, Second year they creep, Third year they leap!"  Wish List:  I wish all of you happy fig collecting!  My wishes have been fulfilled!
adoresfigs45

Registered:
Posts: 254
Posted Reply with quote  #26 
Tami,  you finally mentioned something that I have been wondering about.  Cat pee smell.   I spanked my cat last week because I thought he sprayed my cuttings and I kept smelling pee pee when I was out on the lanai.   Oh no   now i feel really bad.  He said he didnt don't it (Lol) but has been known to lie about munching house plants.  What makes the smell:?
Previous Topic | Next Topic
Print
Reply