Fresh Fig Benefits
Figs not only taste good, but they are a good source of fiber and complex carbohydrates. They’re also rich in several minerals, including potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron. In fact, when you eat a half-cup of figs you get as much calcium as when you drink a half-cup of milk.
So if you’re wondering how to eat figs, so you get these healthy fruits in your diet, here are some suggestions. . .
How To Eat Figs Fresh
Fresh figs are great eaten as is. Some people say fresh figs taste like a mix of a peach and a strawberry! However, sometimes fresh figs are hard to find, as they are extremely delicate and don’t travel well.
Green Figs
The trees produce a small, early crop. There is a second and much bigger crop, which is when most figs are more readily available. In southern areas of the United States this occurs from July on through until frost stops production. In more northern locations, fig trees may only produce one crop per season, generally in August or later.
Fresh, ripe figs should be fairly soft, but not mushy. A perfectly ripe fig is heavy for its size and usually oozing a bit of sugary syrup. Sometimes these natural sugars appear as surface sugar crystals. This is a natural phenomenon and does not indicate spoilage. If you want to remove the sugar crystals:
- Place 1/2 cup figs in a microwave-safe dish.
- Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon water.
- Cover loosely and microwave on high for one minute.
The color of figs varies from green, brown, yellow to purple or almost black, depending on the variety of fig. The size also varies depending on the variety.
Ripened figs can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days, but they should be eaten as soon as possible after you buy them. They ferment readily, and should also be checked for mold.
You can use a sharp knife or a pair of scissors to cut up figs. If the knife gets sticky, run it under hot water to remove the fig syrup.
If you find fresh figs that are hard or dried out, they should be used in recipes where they are poached or macerated. Keep in mind that figs do not continue to ripen once picked, so if they’re unripe when you buy them, they’re going to stay that way.
If it doesn’t look like you’re going to use up your fresh figs right away, they can also be kept in the freezer for up to one year.
Brown Turkey Fig hanging on tree.
When You Can’t Find Fresh Healthy Figs, Try Dried Ones
Since it’s sometimes difficult to find fresh figs, dried figs are a good option. They can be eaten as is for a sweet treat.
Dried figs can also be soaked to soften them, or cooked by themselves or with any other dried fruits. They are good stewed, and are usually sweet enough to require little or no sugar.
Buy natural dried figs that don’t have any sulfite or potassium sorbate preservatives. You get more fruit for your money with preservative-free figs because the preservatives make the fruit retain up to 30% more water. It’s better to be eating the figs than perservatives anyway!
Natural dried figs will be darker in color than those with perservatives. The flavor is also more concentrated, and of course they are also more nutrient dense since they don’t have so much water. They’re also chewier.
Dried figs can be stored in the original sealed package at room temperature for a month. For longer storage, keep them in the refrigerator, six months to a year. Opened dried figs should be transferred to a sealable plastic bag or some kind of airtight container and stored in the refrigerator. They are best used within a year of purchase.
Sometimes a powder forms on dried figs. This is the fruit’s natural sugar in a crystalline form and is edible.
It doesn’t matter whether you call them a Fig (English), Higo (Spanish), Figue (French), Feige (German), or Fico (Italian), this is one healthy fruit, and an easy health food to add to your diet.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Do you eat the outer fig shell?
It’s just fine to eat the skin of a fig.
what happens when you eat a unripe fig?
i ate one and i got red spots on my tongue?why?
If the figs are not completely ripe, a bit of milky sap oozes from the stem end. This milky sap, ficin, acts sort of like a digestive enzyme. That’s what makes your tongue/mouth sore. To prevent this, be sure to cut off the stem, since that’s where most of the ficin is.
Also be sure to wash the fig in fresh, cool water, to get rid of any sap that may be on the skin.
If you are particularly sensitive, and especially with unripe figs, then you might not want to eat the skin either, though most of the sap is in the stem.
You answered my question wonderfully on dried figs, thank you
Glad the information was useful for you!
how to eat dried fig and for how much time to soak..please comment..
You can eat dried figs just like they are, sort of like you’d eat raisins. Or you can soak them in water or some other liquid to give them a different taste. It takes 12 to 24 hours to soften the figs… it’s hard to tell you an exact time because it depends on how dry the figs are and how soft you want them. Or you can stew/poach the figs by putting them in a pan that has a tight fitting lid with the liquid of your choice, and let it simmer until the fruit has plumped back up.
Hi Teagan, Would soaking the figs not destroy its nutritional values? I absolutely do not care about taste or how soft or hard it is to eat, I wana get best benefits out of anything I eat.
I understand figs are great help to increase hemoglobin level…so how would it be more beneficial to my blood….dried or soaked?
Would really appreciate if I could get some answer to this ….have been searching and inquiring a lot but 0 results…:-(
wondering do u eat the skin or just the fruit in side.thanks
Figs are usually eaten whole, with the skin and all. You don’t even have to cut the fig into smaller pieces or remove the seeds if you don’t want to. Just pop the entire fig into your mouth and enjoy it!
If you get the ficin on your tongue and it gets sore, how do you treat it?