This fall has been unusually sunny and dry. We have a bumper
crop of ripe tomatoes, unusual in the Pacific Northwest. We’ve been giving them
away by the grocery bag full. Usually we bring the tomatoes in green when the
rain starts and they slowly ripen by Thanksgiving. The indoor ripening process
is scary because it means that most of the “ripe” tomatoes in the supermarket
could be months off the vine. The other crop that’s unusual has been the second
fig crop, which normally doesn’t make it, but this year has been fat, sweet,
and juicy.
There are lots of perfumes based on green fig leaves, and
some based on the fruit. They’re all good. However, yesterday an online friend
wrote me asking if I’d ever smelled dried fig leaves, crushed to release their
fragrance. I had not, but rushed out to the back yard to retrieve a few crisp,
fallen leaves from under the brown turkey fig tree. Dried leaves were scarce
because the tree’s leaves are all still green and figs of all sizes and stages
are still growing, taking advantage of the fall sun. When I crushed the dry
leaves in my hand, I was amazed to find that they released a strong, sweet
fragrance full of coumarin, coconut, and sunny, dry, dusty things. It’s a
perfume in and of itself, different from fig fruit, and different from green
fig leaves. It could stand alone as a perfume.
When the fig trees drop enough leaves, I’m going to try
tincturing them and see what comes out of the process. I’m also thinking about
how to synthesize the smell of dried fig leaves. That’s what I love about
tinkering with plants and fragrances. There’s always another project!
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I've seen some perfumer's distilling equipment out there that had good reviews from indies and was only a few hundred dollars. Sounds like you might get there eventually! The fig leaves sound glorious.
ReplyDeleteOh, that smell sounds fabulous! I'm very interested in how that project turns out.
ReplyDeleteDried fig leaves! I will go find some and smell them! I even like the smell of the big leaf maple leaves that will soon be knee deep over in our yard. Gail
ReplyDeleteThis morning I just collected more dried leaves from the black mission fig tree. I'll start tincturing them next week when I get back from Seaside. I'm also going to start tincturing the rose-peony petal mixture that I dried a couple of months ago. I hope the scent is still there.
ReplyDeleteMarla, I'm not sure I want to get into distilling, but you never know. Stranger things have happened, including getting into perfume-making in the first place.
Dionne, you have a small package on its way to you (finally)!
Gail, I like the smell of big leaf maple leaves, too. It's the typical earthy, fallen leaf smell, not sweet like the fig leaves. I found out that big leaf maples are a good source of sap for maple syrup, so we're going to try that experiment this winter.
What! Maple syrup from the big leaf! I'll try it too! Gail
ReplyDeleteI know this is an old post, but I grew up sniffing around my grandparents' giant fig tree and its environs, smelling the green leaves, and every type of plant on the property, to trace down just what that amazing earthy sweet smell was. I never figured it out, and I definitely spent hours searching. Finally as an adult, I planted a row of fig trees along the road by my house. That autumn, as leaves started to fall, I began to smell it again -- and the smell persisted through winter, still eluding me!! I finally bent down and smelled the dried, dead leaves and it was like being transported back in time. Were you successfully able to produce anything from the leaves? I so wish I had cologne or lotion that smelled like it !!
ReplyDeleteDuranger, Thanks for your comment. Yes, the fig leaf tincture turned out smelling very much like the leaves. It's really a wonderful scent!
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Figs are a delicious and nutritious fruit that offer a variety of health benefits. Rich in dietary fiber, they support digestive health by promoting regular bowel movements and preventing constipation. Figs are also packed with essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, vitamin K, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, which contribute to bone health, heart health, and overall well-being. Additionally, figs contain powerful antioxidants that help combat oxidative stress and reduce inflammation. They have a low glycemic index, making them a good choice for maintaining stable blood sugar levels.
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