How to Select & Store Fresh Figs - The Produce Nerd (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to store freshly picked figs? ›

Place paper towels between the figs so they are not directly touching. This will absorb some of the fruits' moisture and keep them fresh. Wrap figs and keep them in the fridge. Wrap your tray of figs in plastic wrap or place the tray in a plastic bag to insulate your figs from the aromas of other foods in your fridge.

They should give off a mildly sweet fragrance but if they smell sour they should be avoided as there's a good chance that they have spoiled. When you get them home, we recommend placing them on a paper towel-lined plate or container.

Gently squeeze each fig. They should have a little give without feeling mushy. Wrinkles aren't a big deal with figs, but the skin should be unbroken and free from any bruises or blemishes. Look for richly colored skin that's soft to the touch.

A perfectly ripe fig will taste honey-sweet. A perfectly unripe fig will taste vegetal, almost like a cucumber. If your figs look and feel ready, a taste test is a good next step to determine if they're good to go.

Freezing Figs

They should be fully ripe for best flavor. Wash ripe figs thoroughly, remove stems, peel if desired, leave whole or cut in half. Freeze with or without sugar syrup. Freeze figs firm-ripe and whole for making preserves later.

Basically, a fig which has already started the ripening process will continue to ripen even off the tree, so a fig which is soft and full, but not as sweet and juicy as you might hope, will become riper if you leave it on your counter for a few days.

Touch. A ripe fig will be soft to the touch when gently squeezed.

Dried figs contain more calories, sugar, dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals than fresh figs. Fresh figs will have more vitamin C, vitamin A, and beta-carotene.

Since fresh figs are perishable, they need to be kept in the refrigerator, between 32ºF-36ºF. Like strawberries, which can get moldy if exposed to too much moisture, it's generally not recommended that you wash figs as soon as you bring them home from the market.

Once you know what color your figs change to as they ripen, you will have a better idea of what to look for. Be sure to harvest in the morning on a partly cloudy day for the best results.

What is eating my figs at night? ›

A: Figs are super attractive to all types of birds, so the netting is not a bad idea. Unfortunately, other creatures of the night will show up and help themselves once they discover your tree. Opossums, raccoons, rats and mice all like to feast on the soft fruit and can climb the tree to get it.

It's important to keep fresh figs cold to slow deterioration. Use them immediately or store in a plastic bag in the coldest part of your refrigerator for up to two days. Fresh figs can be frozen whole, sliced, or peeled in a sealed container for ten to twelve months.

Black Mission figs are extremely sweet (sometimes they even ooze a bit of syrup, which you should take as a very good sign when picking or buying them).

It is best to eat, use, dry, or freeze figs as soon as possible after harvest. If you dry the figs either in the sun or using a dehydrator, they will last for up to three years in the freezer. You can wash and dry the figs and place them on a baking sheet (not touching) and freeze until hard.

One hard fact about figs is, unfortunately, green figs will not ripen off the tree. However, fruit picked just before full ripeness will continue to soften and become sweeter when they are stored at room temperature in a dry location, such as a pantry.