Sour fig

What it is

Carpobrotus edulis belongs to the Aizoaceae family. Its yellow fruit has the shape of an upside-down bell, with a fleshy interior and a taste that combines sourness, saltiness and bitterness. As it ripens fully, the outside becomes leathery and wrinkled.

The name sour fig covers several related Carpobrotus plants. The yellow-flowered Carpobrotus edulis is the most common and widespread, and the one usually made into konfyt.

Where it comes from

Sour fig comes from South Africa. Its home range runs from Namaqualand in the Northern Cape through the Western Cape to the Eastern Cape. Around Cape Town, it is still gathered from the wild for food, both dried and made into jam.

How it's eaten where it grows

In South Africa’s Western Cape, eating the fresh fruit can be as simple as opening the base and sucking out the sour, salty pulp. Konfyt takes it in a sweeter direction. The hard outer skin and stems come off, and the fruit soaks overnight in salted water. After rinsing, it cooks in a syrup of sugar, water, lemon juice and cinnamon.

Fruit for the preserving pan needs a skin that will still come away after soaking. Once a fruit has gone too dry and shrivelled, it's past its best for konfyt.

How it's grown

Sour fig grows close to the ground on a creeping succulent with thick, fleshy leaves that spreads into dense mats. A single shoot can grow more than 1 m (3 ft) in a year, and one plant can spread at least 50 m (165 ft) across.

Its flowers open alone, 10–15 cm (4–6 in) wide, yellow at first and then light pink. In the Cape, the fruit is still gathered from the wild.

When and where you'll find it

In the Cape, the wrinkled brown fruits turn up almost all year, but they're usually best in late summer and autumn; around Cape Town, yellow, swollen fruits are an autumn sight. Off the plant, you'll meet it dried or as a jar of jam or konfyt.