If you want to know “When are figs ripe? “, read these three tips. They will help you find ripe figs on your trees and enjoy them at their best.
Common figs are fruits that are enjoyed fresh or dried, and they are easy to grow. Use these tips and your senses to know when your figs are ripe and ready to harvest. » If birds and other animals keep you from picking your ripe figs, you might want to cover them with garden netting to keep them safe.
Figs are a delicious fruit that can be enjoyed fresh or dried. Their sweet taste and smooth texture make them a tasty snack or addition to recipes. However, figs don’t last forever and can go bad if left for too long. As a fig lover it’s important to know how to tell if a fig has gone bad before eating it.
Check the Appearance
The first thing to look at when inspecting a fig is its appearance. Fresh, ripe figs should have smooth relatively unblemished skin. The color can vary from greenish-yellow to purple or black depending on the variety but the skin should not be shriveled or have spots of mold. Dried figs will be more wrinkled but shouldn’t be dried out or covered in crystallized sugar.
Examine the shape as well Figs naturally open up as they ripen, but dried figs should still retain their basic pear shape. Squished or misshapen figs may have been damaged and started decomposing.
Give It a Squeeze
Ripe, fresh figs should feel plump and soft when gently squeezed. A fresh fig will give a little when pressed, similar to a peach or a tomato. If the fig feels hard or spongy, it is likely under ripe. If it feels mushy or deflated, it is overripe and spoiled.
For dried figs, they shouldn’t feel overly hard or crunchy. Dried figs will be more compressed than fresh, but should still have some bounce back when squeezed. If the fig crumbles or turns to dust, it is too dried out to eat.
Check the Aroma
Sniff your fig before taking a bite. Ripe, fresh figs have a mildly sweet, floral smell that is subtly fruity. As figs start to spoil, they give off a sour, fermented scent from the yeasts and bacteria growing on the fruit. Dried figs should have a sweet figgy aroma. If they smell musty or stale, it means the figs have probably gone bad.
Inspect the Inside
You can also open up the fig and check the inside flesh for signs of spoilage. A ripe fig will have a soft, smooth interior that matches the skin color. Unripe figs will be lighter colored and tougher in texture. An overripe, rotting fig will appear mushy or slimy inside with brown or moldy spots. The seeds and flesh should not appear dried out or crystallized.
Look at the inner surface as well. A little sticky nectar is normal, but any liquid dripping or seeping out is a sign the fig has fermented and spoiled. The inner walls may also show mold growth or dark discoloration from rot.
Watch for Condensation
Check fig packaging for any condensation or moisture inside the container. The presence of water droplets or “sweating” means the figs have likely gone bad and will soon grow mold. This is especially true for dried figs, as extra moisture causes the fruit to become sticky and decay. Condensation indicates the figs have been kept in warm conditions that accelerated spoilage.
Consider the Storage Conditions
How the figs were stored after harvesting provides more context on their freshness and shelf life. Fresh figs only last 1-2 days at room temperature. For best quality, fresh figs should be stored in the refrigerator and consumed within 3-5 days. Dried figs can be kept in a cool pantry for several months. If you’re unsure when the figs were harvested or how long they have been sitting on the shelf, it’s safer to inspect them thoroughly before eating.
Check the Expiration Date
If your figs come in a package, check the best-by or sell-by date on the label. This will give you an idea of when the company recommends consuming the figs for optimal freshness and flavor. Dates can range from 3-5 days for fresh figs to 6-12 months for dried. It’s still wise to do an inspection, as figs may spoil before the printed date if stored incorrectly. But an expired date is a definite sign to discard them.
Ask an Expert
When in doubt, ask someone who knows figs well, like a grower, grocer, or chef. Farmers who cultivate figs can spot signs of spoilage from experience harvesting and handling the fruit. Grocery store produce managers that regularly stock fresh figs can tell you how to select properly ripe ones. And chefs who frequently cook with figs will have tips for determining freshness.
Trust Your Senses
At the end of the day, your eyes, nose, and hands are the best tools for figuring out if a fig has gone bad. The more figs you handle, the better your senses will become at spotting imperfections. You’ll learn what ripe fresh figs should look, smell, and feel like versus overripe or spoiled ones. Over time, inspecting figs will become second nature.
Spoiled figs aren’t worth the stomach ache, so take those extra moments to check for ripeness. Follow these guidelines when evaluating figs before eating. With some practice assessing figs’ appearance, aroma, texture, and storage conditions, you’ll be enjoying perfect figs and avoiding bad ones.
How to Harvest Figs
When you pick figs, a fresh, ripe fig will easily come off the tree. To get the fruit off the tree, just grab the base of it and lift it up.
If you don’t pick them first, really ripe figs may even fall to the ground from their weight and size.
If the stalk develops a milky white sap after the fig is picked, the fruit is not yet fully ripe. If the fig is fully ripe, has grown, and feels soft to the touch, it may still be sweet and edible even if some milky white sap appears on the stalk. Our advice here is to try one and see how it tastes. Leave the rest of the ripe figs on the tree for another day or so if it’s not very sweet or tasty.
Note: It is not recommended that you harvest unripe figs and try to ripen them off the tree. Before it ripens, the fruit may soften after a few days at room temperature, but it might not taste great. But this might be something to think about in the north, where frost or cool weather could stop a later crop of figs from ripening on the tree.
Figs that are ripe will sometimes drip with juice or nectar while they are still on the tree. This is another sign that they are ready to be picked.
Its important to know that the figs on a fig tree may not all ripen at once. There are even types of fig trees that produce more than one crop. These are called the “breba” (fruit from last year’s growth) and “main crop.” Fig trees like Chicago Hardy and Brown Turkey have more than one crop. The breba crop ripens first, early in the season, and then the main crop later in the season.
3 Ways to Identify Ripe Figs
Go by the color. One of the first signs your figs are becoming ripe is their change in color. Young, immature and unripe figs tend to be small and green in hue. For types like Brown Turkey, Chicago Hardy, Celeste, and LSU Purple, the fruit will turn brown or purple as it ripens from green. For some types of figs, like Kadota and LSU Gold, the mature fruit is still greenish. How can you tell if the figs are ready if their color doesn’t change? Keep reading!
Go by the appearance. The fruit itself will hang in a droopy way on the tree as it ripens. This is true for figs regardless of mature color. Young, firm figs tend to stand out and away from the tree. When the fig gets ripe and soft, the stalk that holds it to the tree will bend.
Go by the size. As the fruit matures on the tree, it will also grow in size*. The figs will all get bigger as they mature and ripen on the tree, but the mature size will depend on the type you are growing.
*If the fruit doesn’t get bigger, the tree might be too heavy (thin out some fruit to lighten its load) or it might not be getting enough water. It may also be too cold to encourage ripening, especially later in the season and in cool climates.
A ripe fig will be soft to the touch when gently squeezed. Unripe figs are still firm. But this is because the fruit hasn’t fully ripened yet, so the juices and sugars that are made as it does aren’t fully present.
If you pick a ripe fig right off the tree, it will taste rich and sweet and feel soft and smooth. Unripe figs can be rubbery, dry, and lack sweetness. The most effective way to tell your figs are unripe is to eat one before its peak. A lot of people only eat an unripe fig once before they decide to wait until the fruit is fully ripe before picking it.
If you pick a ripe fig right off the tree, it will taste rich and sweet and feel soft and smooth. Unripe figs can be rubbery, dry, and lack sweetness. The most effective way to tell your figs are unripe is to eat one before its peak. A lot of people only eat an unripe fig once before they decide to wait until the fruit is fully ripe before picking it.
When figs go bad…
How do you know if a fig is bad?
Another symptom of a lousy fig is a white crystallized substance on its surface. If you spot insects eating the figs, it is best to leave them alone and not eat them. If you eat such figs, you are putting your health at risk because you increase your chances of contracting an illness. How to Store Figs?
Are dried figs as healthy as fresh ones?
Dried figs will be just as healthy as fresh ones, the only different will be that they are a little less filling and are actually slightly lower in calories, only 20 compared to the 30 of fresh figs. The only issue with dried fruit is that since they are less filling it is easy to overindulge, so just be aware of how many you want to eat and stick to it.
How do you know if a fig is ripe?
Ripe figs should not be firm like an apple or an immature plum, and they should give somewhat when pressed but not be mushy. Smooth and firm when cut but sensitive and delicious throughout, the best ripe figs are smooth and firm. This article will show you how to tell if figs are bad. They only keep for a few days after picking.
How do you know if figs are rotten?
Examine the figs to determine if there is any mold growing within. If you detect mold growing within the figs, toss them out and eat the healthy ones. When the sugars in figs solidify, mold usually doesn’t grow. If your figs smell rotten, you know they’re spoilt. It is preferable not to eat such figs and to discard them.
