It's National Fig Week. Lawdy, they've got a national week for nearly everything, don't they? And BTW, who is this THEY who come up with the ridiculous things? Marketers of products needing a boost?Figs. Really? We're going to celebrate figs? But then, when I thought about it I realized figs are one of many portals sending me to the nostalgia of my childhood. Yep, figs.
My cousins had a fig tree in their yard and my grandmother thought they were completely blessed to have that thing because she was a wizard in the kitchen and loved 'putting up' fig preserves. I've known folks to take a fig off the tree and eat it but not me. Something about them just didn't sit right with me but I loved Grandmother's fig preserves and I think that's the proof that she could make/bake/cook anything and it would be fantastic.
Or it was the sugar.
Let's face it, sugar and figs were the main ingredients to fig preserves and I imagine things haven'tchanged much. In any case, Grandmother made delicious fig preserves whether you put them on a homemade biscuit or just stuck your finger in the jar, the preserves were delicious. Did this translate into me exploring figs and using them in my recipes? No, it did not. The closest I get is Fig Newtons.
I mean, all I remember Grandmother doing with figs is making the preserves and I never did that. I put up strawberry preserves with her help but not the figs. And there was sugar. Lots.
Every summer we helped Grandmother put up fresh straight off the farm fruits and veggies for the winter. Corn, green beans, peas, tomatoes, pickles, watermelon rind pickles, homemade vegetable soup...and the preserves- strawberry, fig, peach and then just the fruit itself. Goodness, but we had some delicious food all through the year because it wasn't just a few ears of corn but bushel upon bushel. Same with the other vegetables and fruits. Grandmother stayed with the task until it was completed to perfection all the while humming her favorite hymns.
Autumn does this to me, renders me nostalgic for some of the best times in my memory. And today, it's the whole National Fig Week thing because that took me straight to Grandmother's kitchen which was definitely the heart of her home all filled with warmth and love and fig preserves.
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The details of your special memory is something that few will get to experience in the future. Fig Newtons were the only thing to pop-up in my mind as I read this. There must be more fig related food than cookies. I should search for fig pastries, pie, ice cream, ....
ReplyDeleteI consulted 'the Google' and apparently, figs are used in many gourmet dishes which explains why I didn't know anything about them. Ha! My bland palate and I will just stick with the Fig Newtons.
DeleteJoe's folks had a fig tree in their yard, but I don't think his mom did anything with them. Interesting! It's warm and wonderful the way some memories pop up and fill our day with love!
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother thought you had gold in your yard if you had a fig tree. That's a lovely way to put it, Terri!
DeleteI have never tried a fig that said this was a lovely post
ReplyDeleteThey aren't something I seek out on purpose. :)
DeleteI've never seen a fig tree and the only figs I've eaten are the ones in Fig Newtons. There does seem to be a national holidays/observances for lots of things. Maybe we ought to come up with our own, huh?
ReplyDeleteI hear they are quite the item in gourmet foods. What would we come up with for a National Day? This is a good idea!
DeleteHow about National Blogging Grandmothers Day???
DeleteI haven't eaten many figs that I know of but they are used a lot in baking now. Sounds like a nice childhood. I've never canned anything either.
ReplyDeleteI think they used to be used as a sweetener, too. I did have a wonderful childhood mostly because of my grandparents. Not that my parents weren't fabulous but my grandparents topped everybody.
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