Peter’s Honey Fig, thin-skinned and sweet as candy
Earlier in the week, I waxed on about a fig named Desert King; juicy, prolific, dependable and one of my favorites. This week I beg its pardon, and must swoon over my new best friend in the orchard: Peter’s Honey Fig. While I have no idea who Peter is, I’ll vouch for the sweet, syrupy honey-like quality of his namesake fig. And unlike the Desert King fig, which has a thicker green skin, Peter’s Honey is cloaked in a delicate gold membrane that melts in your mouth. This fig is basically one big sugar lump, but pick a day too early and you’re chewing on a cotton ball.
A fig that stands on it own and deserves no adulteration
Peter’s Honey fig is perfectly ripe when the skin is golden on the top half, translucent and very soft and showing a few wrinkles.
[Tip: learn other ways to tell when a fig is ripe]
23 responses so far ↓
1 Julia @ Mélanger // Aug 19, 2009 at 9:46 pm
I was just reading through some recipes thinking about figs the other day. I often don’t find fresh figs here, but I think I will have to track them down. A good fig, as you say, can stand on its own. How delicious!
2 noble pig // Aug 20, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Wow, sounds delicious. Never heard of a Peter’s Honey fig.
3 Linda // Aug 21, 2009 at 2:05 am
Beautiful figs ! They are almost the size of small pears. We are getting two tpyes of figs from California in our store here in Miami. They are Black Mission and Sierra. I haven’t tried them yet. What do you think of those varieties ?
4 Tom // Aug 21, 2009 at 12:52 pm
Black mission are great figs but take more heat to ripen than the Northwest can provide even in a good summer. Sierra I have no idea about, so I’ll be checking those out! Take care!
5 June@Four Green Acres // Aug 24, 2009 at 10:03 pm
Birch will swoon when he sees how figgy things are with you. Maine is not fig territory, alas. So we’ll just have to feast our eyes on yours. Unbelievable!
6 Tom // Aug 25, 2009 at 3:35 am
June if it’s any consolation, we don’t grow Maine lobsters out here.
7 Violette du Bordeaux or Negronne Fig: Two Names for One Exceptional Fig // Aug 25, 2009 at 4:40 am
[...] XHTML ← Peter’s Honey: My New Favorite Fig [...]
8 kiwibob // Sep 8, 2009 at 2:53 am
Tom,
Where did you get the Peter’s Honey tree? Mine don’t match either leaf or fruit as you show it! Thanks, kiwibob
9 Tom // Sep 11, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Kiwibob, I’m trying to jog my memory banks and I believe I got it from http://www.onegreenworld.com.
10 kiwibob // Sep 14, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Tom,
I need to come over and see your Peter’s Honey Fig tree first-hand but don’t have your address, so please e-mail me. I asked about the tree because mine came from One Green World’s wholesale side!
Thanks, kiwibob
http://sites.google.com/site/kiwifruitsalad2
11 Dandelion Wisdom // Aug 18, 2010 at 4:19 pm
[...] I was blogging about one year ago: Peter’s Honey Fig: My New Favorite SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Dandelion Wisdom", url: [...]
12 How to Know When a Fig Is Ripe and Ready to Pick // Aug 30, 2010 at 10:09 pm
[...] Widgets ← Desert King Fig: At Home in the Pacific Northwest Peter’s Honey Fig: My New Favorite [...]
13 Figs in a Blanket: Tucking In Some Amazing Flavor // Aug 31, 2010 at 8:02 pm
[...] Peter’s Honey Fig [...]
14 Vern’s Brown Turkey Fig: Nice Fig Vern // Sep 8, 2010 at 4:53 pm
[...] Peter’s Honey Fig [...]
15 Catherine C // May 10, 2011 at 9:10 pm
These look like the figs on my tree! I hope they ripen soon…
16 Lynn P. // Jun 12, 2011 at 7:18 pm
Hi,
I’m on a “fig quest” as I have decided to plant my yard in fruit trees. I have ordered a green variety, so the birds will leave them alone, and I already have a brown turkey fig. But I know they take time to grow, and I practically faint when I eat a fresh fig from the tree. The store figs don’t do much for me, as they are tired. I saw Peter’s Honey figs, and now I am on a quest. I have seen a couple of websites that have sold out, and they are not cheap. I will continue to look for cuttings or rooted cuttings online, unless I can find a small tree without mortgaging my house. Loved your website. Thanks for sharing. I live in Florida. Am not sure where you are.
17 Tom // Jun 17, 2011 at 4:41 am
Hi Lynn, I’m at the opposite end of the country in Washington State. Check out the forums at Gardenweb.com, do a search for “figs Florida” and you’ll find some good resources. Here’s an example: http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/flgard/msg0822095523200.html?18
You could also ask the forum where to buy figs trees in your area, gardeners are a chatty lot and like to help fellow gardeners.
18 Trevor Dyck // Sep 26, 2011 at 8:27 pm
I live about 1/2 hour outside of Vancouver in B.C. I bought the Peters honey variety from a local nursery and garden store here called Triple Tree. I’m in to my 2 year now with it from a small stock and it’s grown wonderfully. Unfortunately both seasons have been week summers so not much fruit has come to completion. I have about 25 figs on it this year and hope to get another bit of a heat spell to finish them off. Other than that I will have to wait for next year and hope for a better summer. They are beautiful though and taste incredible…the few I’ve had a chance to enjoy.
19 Trevor // Sep 26, 2011 at 8:33 pm
For those of you who are wondering about it’s history, Peters Honey is a Sicilian variety.
20 Keith Hookey // Nov 29, 2011 at 6:19 am
Great to read all these figgy comments! I am a great enthusiast of figs but until now have only had any fruit on a small brown turkey I planted a few years ago. Large fig trees, probably brown turkey, were here when we came 8 years ago but have never had anything on.
I live in Ventnor, on the Isle of Wight in southern UK. We have a sheltered micro climate so seldom have frosts (did last year though and even snow on a few days) but moderate summer temperatures due to the proximity of the sea. Probably not a lot different to Tom’s Seattle climate.
We had about 20 decent sized brown turkeys this summer on the first tree mentioned; problem is, birds get them the moment they ripen so I have to be very vigilant. Strangely, the tree is now ripening a second crop of rather smaller figs – about 30 so far.
The great success story is an Italian tree I bought as a standard last year; the first had very little root and soon died but its replacement has thrived and I was pleased to get 3 figs this summer. However, much to my amazement it has gone mad this autumn and from late October till now I have picked at least 2 – 3 figs (the size of small pears) each day! As the sun is a bit weak I pick them almost fully ripe and leave them on a sunny windowsill. They are a little tough skinned and paler inside than the brown turkeys but the sheer amount of crop makes it worthwhile; they are also good cooked with the large number of Bramley apples we have this year. Small shoots from the base have some roots and have grown OK when potted but could be from a different rootstock.
I am about to order a couple more trees, probably a Peter’s honey fig if I can find one and a Violetta, which I have found in the UK.
21 Tom @ Tall Clover Farm // Nov 29, 2011 at 7:00 am
Thanks Trevor, appreciate the input, thanks for the comments.
Keith welcome, and thanks for your comments also. Regarding growing figs on the Isle of Wight. I checked some weather sites and it does seem Vashon Island in Puget Sound is similar in climate to your Isle of Wight.
I have a new favorite greenish-yellow fig that ripens nicely here: Latturula. Some folks say it is the same as Peter’s Honey, but I’m suspect of that assertion. They seem a little different and my Latturula is a better producer. I rarely if ever get a second crop of figs here though, so congratulations on your second harvest of Italian figs.
I also have another tree, called a Vashon Violet, which was propagated from a neighbor’s tree. A fig aficionado friend of mine, said he believed it to be a Brunswick fig, again, a fine producer in cool climates. Kind regards, Tom
22 Alya // Apr 11, 2012 at 5:28 pm
hi everybody! I am a new here. bought my 1st Peter’s honey today. The tree has one fruit on. I live in Maryland, I am not sure that is a good time to plant my tree now? I would be happy to get your help. thanks
23 Tom // Apr 11, 2012 at 5:35 pm
Hi Alya, springtime is a great time to plant a fig tree. Give it plenty of sun, loosen up the dirt and dig a hole leaving a two foot ring around the tree and plant the tree at the same soil level as in the pot. Water thoroughly, and make sure it gets ample water during hot spells. Good Luck!
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