California’s largest fig grower loves his work, but ask about flavor and he’s quick to reveal his other passion – wine.
Black Mission, the state’s signature fig, channels the earthy richness of a Cabernet Sauvignon, says Kevin Herman, owner of Specialty Crop Co., which farms over 4,000 acres in the San Joaquin Valley, half the California crop.
The larger seeds of the Calimyrna or Sierra fig give it a nutty characteristic he likens to Chardonnay, while the new Tiger variety reminds him of a fruity Zinfandel.
With so many variations in flavor and texture, Herman says it’s a shame to sell just one variety of his voluptuous fruit. “I think retailers are missing the boat if they don’t sell all the flavors and let customers decide which they like best.”
As demand for fresh figs continues to grow, Herman is working to prolong his season beyond the end of October. A decade ago, he bought a ranch in the Imperial Valley near the Mexican border to produce figs in mid-winter. “It was great for having early fruit,” he says, “but it’s so hot and windy down there the quality was challenging.”
He sold the southern ranch last year and is now working to extend the fall crop of tiger and large brown turkey figs at his Madera ranch. One trick is to plant more trees per acre, he’s discovered, and keep them pruned low like a grapevine.
“It’s more lucrative later in the year if you’re the only guy who has fruit,” he says, “and stores like it better since having figs available over a longer period of time helps with their merchandising.”
Herman credits the Food Network with introducing more people to his delicate, hand-picked crop, which uses fewer pesticides and less water than nut and stone fruit trees. “Whether it’s chef Bobby Flay grilling figs or Giada De Laurentiis preparing a fig and almond tart on a terrace in Florence, they’re exotic,” he says. “A lot of folks have never tasted a fig, while others have fond memories of the tree in their grandparents’ backyard.”
One of his biggest challenges is the push-pull on ripeness between growers and retailers. “We like to pick figs as ripe as we can,” he says, “but retailers want them to be a little bit greener so they have an extended shelf life and less shrink.” There is a happy medium, he insists, but not all retailers realize it.
The key to extending shelf life is keeping figs cool, he says. “If you display them on an end aisle without refrigeration you’ll cut the shelf life in half,” says Herman, who aims to have figs in-store within 48 hours of harvest. “Stored properly, they should last 7 to 10 days in-store and another 5 to 7 days once the consumer takes them home.”
Single-layer clamshells with individual egg-carton cups protect the fruit well, he says, and allow growers to include the date picked, the ranch the figs were packed on and even what crew packed them for traceability.
As for promoting figs, he’s noticed that more retailers want to deal directly with the grower and even organize meet-and-greets in-store.
“They’re trying to get consumers to look at us like … winemakers,” he says. “I’m not sure I want to be in the spotlight, but if that’s what it takes to sell more figs…”