How to pick a ripe Fig

How to pick

Figs have to be picked nearly ripe — a hard, green fig will not ripen once it is picked — so choose ones that are already soft, fully colored for their kind, and give to a gentle squeeze. Check the eye (the small opening at the base): pass on any fig with ooze, bubbles, or a sour smell there, because souring starts at the eye. Figs keep only a few days, so buy what you will eat soon. Color depends on the variety, though — some, like Kadota, stay green to yellowish-green even when fully ripe, so judge those by a gentle give and a clean eye, not by color.

Red flags

• A faint sour or vinegary (fermented) smell — the earliest sign of spoilage, which begins at the eye
• Small brown-to-black spots on the skin, especially at the eye or where two figs touched — early rot
• Split, cracked, or weeping skin — an entry point for rot in an already-fragile fruit
• Hard, firm fruit with no give — underripe, and a fig picked that unripe will not ripen at home

When will it be ripe?

1. Firm & green · no give Still firm and green-purple with no give at all.
2. Part purple · nearly there Mostly purple with green still at the shoulders, just beginning to give.
3. Deep purple · dry eye Rich reddish-purple all over, soft to a gentle squeeze, the eye at the base closed and dry.
4. Split skin · smells sour Skin split and weeping, brown-to-black spots around the eye, and a faint vinegary smell.

How to store

Figs are among the most perishable fruits — refrigerate them right away and eat within a couple of days. Keep them dry and unwashed in a single layer in the fridge (cold is best, about 32 °F [0 °C] at 90–95% humidity), and rinse only just before eating. At optimum cold storage they hold about 1–2 weeks, but a home fridge runs warmer, so expect only 2–3 days at good quality. A single layer keeps them from crushing — ripe figs bruise and split easily — and letting them warm to room temperature before eating brings out the fullest flavor.

More to pick

Gooseberry Grapefruit Grapes Guava