Fig Culture: Helping You Grow a Fig Tree in a Cold Climate

Click here to get the free Fig Culture newsletter for fig-growing tips and ideas. Especially for climates where figs don't normally thrive.
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In this episode, I’m joined by chef, recipe developer, and food writer Signe Langford to talk about one of those fig recipes that quietly becomes part of your everyday routine: a wholesome, seed-and-nut fig loaf.
Made with dried figs, olive oil, nuts, and seeds, this loaf is dense, sliceable, and full of flavour—perfect for breakfast, snacking, or alongside cheese.

We talk about:
  • Why figs are such a powerful ingredient in the kitchen 
  • How simple, whole-food recipes can still feel indulgent 
  • The role of texture in recipes like this one (and why resting the batter matters) 
  • Flexible substitutions using what you have on hand 
This recipe is part of our ongoing work on a cookbook focused on olives, lemons, and figs—ingredients we keep coming back to for their flavour, versatility, and deep roots in food culture.
You can find the full recipe here.
 
And follow along as we develop the cookbook on Instagram: @oliveslemonsfigs

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Click here to get the free Fig Culture newsletter for fig-growing tips and ideas.  Especially for climates where figs don't normally thrive. 

What is Fig Culture: Helping You Grow a Fig Tree in a Cold Climate?

Want to grow figs but live somewhere with cold winters? Our passion is growing figs in cold climates.
We help cold-climate fig lovers grow a fig tree in a pot, grow figs in the ground, and, most importantly, conquer winter.
There are many ways of growing figs in cold climates. Find out how you can successfully grow figs in your garden. Learn about fig-tree care. And get creative ideas for winter protection.
Host Steven Biggs is a cold-climate fig expert, horticulturist, and the author of the award-winning book Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t, the first book specifically about cold-climate fig culture. As a horticultural journalist, he interviews other fig experts, and writes about cold-climate fig culture for magazines and for his own blog at FoodGardenLife.com. His fig fetish began in 1993, when he spent a summer at the nursery with the UK National Collection of figs. He hasn’t looked back.