Figs: telling a ripe one, storage and recipes
A ripe fig is soft, sweet and short-lived — best eaten from the tree or the same day.
📅 Season: July to October on the coast and in Istria; some varieties give an earlier summer crop too.
How to tell it's ripe
- The fruit hangs down and the neck by the stalk softens and bends.
- The skin feels soft, often with fine cracks, and a drop of nectar appears at the eye.
- Full colour for the variety (greenish-yellow, brown or deep purple).
How to pick
- Lift the fruit gently and snap it off at the stalk; a ripe fig comes away without resistance.
- The milky sap from branches and stalks can irritate skin — wear gloves and long sleeves.
- Lay them in a single layer; squashed figs spoil quickly.
Storage
- In the fridge in one layer for 2–3 days; let them come to room temperature before eating.
- Dry halved figs in the sun or a dehydrator until leathery.
- To freeze, wash, dry and freeze whole or halved.
Recipes
Fig and lemon jam
Ingredients
- 1 kg ripe figs
- 300 g sugar
- 1 lemon (juice and zest)
- a little water
Method
- Remove the stalks and quarter the figs.
- Simmer with the sugar, lemon and a little water for 40–50 minutes, stirring, until thick.
- Pour hot into sterilised jars and close.
Figs with prosciutto and walnuts
Ingredients
- 8 ripe figs
- 8 thin slices of prosciutto
- a handful of walnuts
- a little honey
- fresh cheese or ricotta
Method
- Cut a cross in the top of each fig and open it slightly.
- Fill each with a teaspoon of cheese and wrap in prosciutto.
- Scatter with walnuts, drizzle with honey and serve.
ⓘ These are general tips; at a pick-your-own always follow the host's instructions.
More tips
🍓 Strawberries · 🍒 Cherries · 🫐 Blueberries · 🍎 Apples · 🍇 Grapes · 🍊 Mandarins · 🍅 Tomatoes