The Breba

Breba Crop-Fig Tree

Most fruit trees grown in California share a common trait. The same rule applies to most bushes or ground covers that produce fruit. It does not matter if your fruit of choice is a juicy peach, or if it's a red and ripe delicious strawberry. Your fruit of choice generally spends the entire year to gear up and produce a single big crop of fruit.

The same rule of thumb can apply to some tomato plants that are known as hybrids. They produce one big crop for an entire season and that's just about it. Don't get me wrong. It's a good crop of tomatoes. But, you only get one.

There is only one type of fruit tree, that I'm aware of, that laughs at this time-honored model of production. This type of fruit tree says "hold my beer." I must warn you that I do not have a great deal of experience with this fruit variety. I can only tell you that it begins to produce tree-ripened fruit much earlier than most fruit trees. But, it doesn't stop there. It keeps right on growing new crops that become tree-ripened fruit throughout the summer.

Breba Crop 2023

It has more energy than your standard Energizer Bunny.

That first crop, pictured above right and again to your immediate left, is called "Breba." It comes from the Spanish word of Breva. This is the first crop that is produced by your average fig tree. I happen to have one of these trees. It is anything but average. It is also unlike any fruit tree or bush that I've ever grown.

I must admit to you: I have grown my fair share. This includes five different varieties of peaches. Why five? Because four is never enough. Come to think of it, five wasn't enough either.

The Spanish are responsible for bringing the fig tree to North and South America. Blame the Spanish. They also brought peach trees and pigs. They would also bring numerous plagues and diseases that the natives had no resistance too, but we'll save that sad story for another day.

Tree of Gluttony

You know what the worst part of this fruit tree experience is? I'm not even sure what kind of fig tree I have. I know it came from Dave Wilson Nursery. But that is the extent of my knowledge. The tree was in a bucket that was labeled with the name of Kadota. This is NOT a Kadota fig tree. Not even close. It's some kind of black fig because the skin of the fruit is black.

My best guess is this is the Black Mission Fig. That is the industry standard. But judging on the color of the skin and the color of the flesh (red), it could be another variety. This includes the Black Jack, the Purple Smyrna or even the Violette de Bordeaux. In short? I'll never know. I just know this one tree produces a boatload of fruit.

As of right now, this tree is loaded with an eye-popping amoung of Breba. But you ain't seen nothing yet. The main crop will dwarf the size of any and every Breba crop. Or, at least it has so far.

Breba here, Breba there

I give away as much as I can. Neighbors, friends, family members, you name it. You want figs? I got figs. Last year I convinced two members of the Sacramento Gardening Group on Facebook to come over and strip the tree. You know what? They did! They nabbed huge sacks of fruit! Guess what? It did not matter! Because the tree was free to grow a third crop, and it did!

I am kind of sad and disgusted to admit this. But there came a point last summer where I had given away as many figs as possible. I had used the fruit to make gallons of fresh Kompot. Anyone who wanted a whack at that fruit production was welcome to it. Despite this, hundreds of figs dropped from that tree and rotted.

Mango the Magnificent!

There was a day and age when various critters would help with stripping the crop. Rats, possums, skunks and birds ate as much as they wanted. But that day and age ended when Mango the Magnificent arrived and made his presence known. One day my three month old kitten put on a show for me by racing up and down that fig tree. Guess what? Critters no longer visit. They say "pass."

So, should you feel the desire for tree-ripened figs this summer, be sure and drop me a line. You can take as much as you like. I will beg you to take even more. You might even get a free ginger cat out of the deal.

KOMPOT!

Bandit and Mango

I must admit that it has been a very nice experience to live right next door to a husband and wife who were born in Ukraine. They both arrived in California decades ago as young children. They were immigrants in what must have been a strange new world for them. But, they adapted. They grew up. They met, they fell in love, got married and started a family. This journey came to my attention when they purchased the home next door some years ago.

I couldn't ask for better neighbors. Sometimes I feel like I've won a lottery of life. The children from this marriage have been called upon, or put to work so to say, to name the beasts that are pictured above. Both cat and dog were procured from the Bradshaw Animal Shelter in Sacramento County. The dog, a Border Collie, was christened with the name of Bandit. The kitten received the title of Mango.

Recent Tomato Haul

I've come to learn that this family loves the produce that comes from the over-sized gardens that I plant every spring. I always make the mistake of planting far too much than I could ever consume, which means the multitudes of tomatoes, squash, peppers, onions and other garden goodies are always searching for a home. They have found a home next door (and elsewhere).

They have also been introduced to the tree-ripened delight of Black Mission figs. I first experienced this delight last year when the tree I planted three years ago suddenly delivered a small crop of fruit. Although I've planted and nurtured a multitude of fruit trees, this would be my first experience with tree-ripened figs. Oh my! I can begin to understand now why figs were, at one time, the most widely planted of all fruit trees in California.

Black Mission Fig Tree

The crop that is coming off the tree this summer can be described in many ways. But, the word "small" is not one of them. Dozens of figs are now ripe for the picking every single day. While I always enjoy five or six pieces of daily, tree-ripened fruit, the dozens that are coming off the tree right now are a bit much. They have found a home next door, across the street, down the block and even at a local dog park where Bandit can terrorize other dogs and dog owners.

It is this gift of fruit, plus other summer garden produce, that resulted in the discovery of an old Russian and Ukrainian heirloom recipe. It's called Kompot (Kohm-Poat). It's a simple way of using a lot of tree or bush-ripened fruit to make a fresh and natural fruit juice that is out of this world GOOD.

Black Mission Figs

I suppose you could call this the old-fashioned way of making Kool-Aid. It's just much healthier. It's also much, much better.

The introduction to this crazy-good concoction made a surprise appearance at my front door the other day. It was a gift from my Ukrainian neighbors. This particular Kompot was made with strawberries and blueberries. I instantly fell in love with it. I'd never tasted anything like it. I would come to learn that Kompot can be made with any combination of tree-ripened fruit. Or, it can be made with just one type of tree-ripened fruit.

Like, Black Mission figs, for example.

Making Kompot

The glass jug that my neighbors of Ukrainian descent used to introduce me to the wonders of Kompot would be returned two days later. That's how long it took me to drink a quart of strawberry and blueberry Kompot. It was that good. But, this jar would not be returned empty. It was cleaned and filled again. It would be returned with a Black Mission fig mixture of Kompot.

If one were to cast votes on this matter, I would personally choose the Kompot that came out of the neighbor's kitchen. That combination of strawberries and blueberries was truly something special. I wish I could share that taste with you. It is out of this world good.

Black Mission Fig Kompot

But, other people also get to cast votes in this election. It's a split decision. The neighbors who introduced me to Kompot claim they like my Mission Black fig creation just a tad better.

You can't ask for better neighbors. You really can't.

This is the recipe I used to make my own version of Black Mission fig Kompot. I also modified it a tad, so I've listed it below. Although this is a recipe that I used to create Kompot from Black Mission figs, any fruit can be substituted.

This is the month of August in California. What California fruit ripens during the month of August? EVERYTHING!

Have fun!

Black Mission Fig Kompot

-25 soft to the touch, tree-ripened Black Mission figs

-1.5 gallons water

-1 to 1.5 cups sugar (depending upon how sweet you want it)

Directions:

-Cut figs into quarters and set aside

-Fill a large pot with 1.5 gallons of water and bring to a boil

-Add quartered figs and return to a boil

-Reduce heat to a simmer. Do not cover pot

-Simmer for 30-45 minutes.

-Turn stove off after simmering is complete. Add sugar to water and fruit. Stir to mix. I covered the pot and let this mixture sit overnight.

-Straining the fruit from the liquid is tricky. I just dumped the entire concoction into a plastic one gallon jug. I used a colander to strain the juice into two half gallon jugs. Seeds from the figs do pass through, but I didn't mind. If you want a clearer fruit juice, minus the seeds, you can place cheesecloth into the colander during the straining process.

The left-over fruit used from creating this mixture is also very tasty. It can also be used in another dish called Kissel. This recipe comes courtesy of Natasha's Kitchen. Scroll past the Kompot recipe to access the instructions for Kissel.