If you’re lucky enough to be able to get hold of some fresh figs, by all means, eat some of them fresh out of hand. They’re a delectable tasting fruit, and good no matter how you eat them. (For tips on buying fresh figs, see “Wondering How To Eat Figs?)

However, if you want to try something a little different, why not try grilling fresh figs?

Tips on Grilling Figs

As mentioned in an earlier post, “How To Grill Fruit”, there are some basics you need no matter what sort of fruit you grill. Be sure the grill is absolutely clean, and stay close to the grill while the fruit is cooking. It doesn’t take very long!

You can use an outside grill or an inside grill like the George Foreman Grilleration. Of course, the flavor is a little different depending on which kind of grill you use. That holds true whether it’s an electric grill, gas grill, charcoal grilling or using wood chips.

Figs On The Grill

Follow these steps to grill fresh figs:

1. Ffirst cut them in half long-wise, or if you prefer, you can grill them whole.
2. Brush the figs with melted butter or an aromatic flavored oil.
3. Cook cut-side down on the grill until browned, about 2 or 3 minutes

You can serve the grilled figs as a dessert by themselves, or pair them with something like mascarpone cheese. They also can be used with dessert crepes, or paired with cake. Top them with whipped cream, or put them in a bowl with ice cream. Use your imagination!

However you choose to eat your grilled figs, they’re a healthy taste treat!

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Eating Figs Grilled

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:

1. Place 1/2 cup figs in a microwave-safe dish.
2. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon water.
3. 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.

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Wondering How To Eat Figs?

Healthy Figs Benefits!

You know figs aren’t a vegetable. But did you know figs aren’t a fruit either? Technically, the fig is what’s called a synconium. It starts out as a green globe with an opening at one end. Inside is a cluster of hundreds of flowers. Once these flowers are pollinated, they produce drupelets.

To get a better idea of what a drupelet is, think of a raspberry. Each tiny section of a single raspberry fruit is a drupelet.

Inside Out Easy Health Food

Figs are turned inside out from the likes of raspberries, with their drupelets on the inside, and each of these tiny bubbles of fruit inside the fig has a seed in the center.

These inside out goodies have been grown since ancient times. These days, Turkey and Greece are the leading producers of figs in the world. The United States comes in third place with figs grown in California, Texas, Utah, Oregon and Washington. Most of the figs harvested are grown in California’s San Joaquin Valley.

Health Food Information

Why should you eat figs? FIBER! Lots of fiber! Per serving, figs are higher in fiber than any other fresh or dried fruit. They’re also rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron, and a good source of polyphenols, plant-based chemicals that help fight disease.

Because of all that fiber, figs are great to promote regularity. The type of fiber in figs may also reduce the risk of developing adult-onset diabetes.

The polyphenols in dried figs may offer a protective effect against heart disease and cancer.

Figs For Easy Healthy Food

So there’s an easy way to get some health food – eat figs! They taste good, don’t need any preparation before eating them, provide fiber and other nutrients, and help protect your body against disease.

Figs are a fantastic easy health food and an all-star of the Superfoods List!

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Figs Benefits Include Being A Great Fiber Source