What is sour figs good for?

Sour figs leaves are bitter, antiseptic and can be chewed to relieve a sore throat, mouth infections, sunburn, itches, cold sores, nappy rash and blue bottle stings.

Can you eat sour fig?

The sour fig (AKA suurvy or hottentot fig) is the edible fruit of the carpobrotus acinaciformis, a succulent that grows abundantly in the Western Cape. The conical fruits of the carpobrotus contains a tasty, sour pulp with tiny seeds, and are usually dried before they are eaten.

Why are some figs sour?

Fig souring isn’t a disease in and of itself, but rather the result of any of a large number of bacteria, fungi, and yeasts entering into the fig and essentially rotting it from within. These things enter the fig through its eye, or ostiole, the little hole at the base of the fruit that opens up as it ripens.

How do you grow sour figs?

The Cape Sour Fig thrives in a sunny position in well-draining soil. Although frost tender, this succulent is drought- and wind-resistant, and makes for an effective fire barrier. It grows very easily from cuttings, no rooting hormones required.

Why is fig Not vegan?

Vegans, as far as practicable, should avoid eating any animals or animal products. The way some varieties of fig are pollinated means every edible fruit of some fig varieties contain at least one dead wasp – so by eating a fig, you are eating a dead insect. So far, so not vegan.

Can you eat sour figs when pregnant?

and Warnings. Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Fresh or dried fig fruit is LIKELY SAFE in amounts found in food.

Is figs good for pregnant ladies?

Fig Benefits Figs contain a good amount of calcium, iron, potassium, copper and magnesium. Moreover, eating figs during pregnancy helps to reduce constipation owing to the high amount of fibre. Pregnant women can have one to three figs in the form of a snack. One can add fresh figs to a salad.

Are dried figs sour?

If you are selecting dried figs in bulk, they should be clean, there should be no mold, and their aroma should be sweet, not sour. If you purchase slightly underripe fresh figs, keep them at room temperature away from sunlight and turn them often. Ripe fresh figs should be refrigerated.

Why do figs taste bad?

But, the basic taste of all figs is that they are sweet and moist inside. The flesh of the fig is jellylike and pulpy, but not juicy. Figs go bad very fast and will become rancid and taste acidic. It is better to dry and preserve them.

How do you propagate carpobrotus?

Propagation is easiest by layering (rooting horizontal stem cuttings), as this is how the plant grows naturally. These layers should be around 30 cm in length and planted leaving at least 5 cm of the plant above the sand or soil. The plant can also be grown from cut pieces or division of large plants.

What kind of plant is the sour fig?

Carpobrotus edulis is known as the humble sour fig, Cape fig, ghaukum, ghoenavy, Kaapse vy, perdevy, rankvy, suurvy, ikhambi-lamabulawo or umgongozi in Zulu. This easy-growing ground cover is a useful medicinal plant with edible fruit and attractive yellow flowers that fade to pale pink.

How to make sour fig jam with sour figs?

To prepare the jam, cover 1 kg of sour figs with cold water (with 1 tsp salt). Soak overnight, drain and peel. Add two cups of sugar, a few sticks of cinnamon to one cup of water and boil until sticky. Then add sour figs – simmer till thick and the fruit is dark red in colour. Bottle in sterilised glass jars.

Why are the figs on my Tree turning sour?

Fig souring, or fig sour rot, is a nasty business that can render all the fruits on a fig tree inedible. It can be caused by a number of different yeasts and bacteria, but it is pretty much always spread by insects.

What do they do with sour figs in Cape Town?

When eating the dried fruit, the base of the sour fig is bitten or broken off and the pulp sucked out. In Cape Town, sour figs are commonly used to make preserves, such as sour fig konfyt. They also have many medicinal properties.