Figs for Drying in the Pacific NW

I live in Oregon and I love to eat figs. I especially want to grow enough figs at my farm so I can begin drying a big stash for winter use. So far, I've got an older fig tree that looks a lot like Desert King, a green-skinned variety that produces well, but the fruit is not very flavorful and it is not good for drying. I also planted a Petite Negri, a natural dwarf variety in my main orchard/food forest last year, but it never ripened the crop of figs in time before winter weather arrived. I'm hoping this tree will ripen a big crop of fruit this year for drying. I also have a Negronne fig in a big pot that I will be transplanting into the orchard this spring. Anyone else out there grow figs, especially for drying? (I'm also interesting in exchanging or buying cuttings for propagation.)

Check out this link for quite a few PNW figs. http://www.onegreenworld.com//index.php?cPath=1_27
They will list on the website which ones are good for PNW.
I am not too sure which ones are good for drying though.

Burnt Ridge Nursery might be a place to look. They are in Oregon too.
http://www.burntridgenursery.com/searchprods.asp

Robert Ray wrote:Burnt Ridge Nursery might be a place to look. They are in Oregon too.
http://www.burntridgenursery.com/searchprods.asp

Onalaska, Washington. close enough, though.


I really like Desert King figs when they're totally ripe. too juicy to dry, though. the problem you're running up against is that fig plants thrive in our climate, but our fairly variable growing seasons aren't terribly reliable for ripening fruit. microclimates can make a big difference here. south facing hill might be good. if that's not an option, south sides of buildings are good. creating a sun trap with plants or earthworks can help. a rubble wall to the north of a tree would help.

root restriction is a tried-and-true method for increasing fig fruit production. lining the planting hole with rubble will do it, as will using a spade to prune the roots annually or every couple of years. plenty of other ways to achieve that, too.

Certain fig varieties are particularly well-suited for drying. While they may be less intense in sweetness and flavor when fresh, drying them significantly enhances their taste. These varieties sometimes get an undeserved bad reputation because people try them fresh, but they truly shine when dried. A perfect example is the Conadria Fig. You can find more information here: https://orchevo.com/product-category/figs/conadria-fig/

Thank you everyone who responded! (Yes, I'm the same guy as M.K. Dorje, but that's a different story...)

Over the past 11 years, I've grown several new types of figs- including Hardy Chicago, Conadria (as suggested) and Lattarula (Italian honey)- many of them in big huge pots, some of them down near my orchard. Some years I get them to ripen, and some years not. One thing I've learned is that pruning the trees a bit during spring, removing all the smallest figs and maximizing time in the sun all help. Two summers ago, I got quite a few of the Hardy Chicago, Conadria and  Lattarula to ripen. This year, almost none of them ripened. My friends had the same problem this year with the potted Conadria I gave them.

However, last year I discovered a new way to dry the juicy Desert king figs that was really successful. After a massive crop two summers ago, I dried the ripest Desert King figs in my new drier, but only half way. I kept them juicy and then put them in freezer bags in the freezer. After I took them out of the freezer a few months later, they were moist, soft, sweet and not frozen solid- some of the most delicious dried figs I've ever had. They were like the really expensive moist dried figs sealed in foil packets that sell for ridiculously high prices. I dried a bunch of the Desert King figs that way this year, too. I really love Desert King figs now...