If you’ve never eaten a perfectly ripe fresh fig, you’re in for a treat.
With their tender skin, jewel-toned flesh, and rich, honeyed sweetness, fresh figs are one of summer’s most anticipated farmers market fruits. Right now, you’ll find beautiful figs at Minazzoli Farms, with Kashiwase Farms and Borba Family Farms bringing more as the season progresses.
Among the most beloved varieties are California Mission figs, with deep purple-to-black skin and luscious ruby-colored flesh.
Mission Figs Have Deep California Roots
Mission figs have been part of California’s agricultural story for more than 250 years. Franciscan missionaries brought fig cuttings to California in the 1700s and planted them at the missions as they moved north through the state.
The trees flourished in California’s warm, Mediterranean climate, and the dark-skinned variety eventually became known as the Mission fig.
Today, California grows nearly all of the fresh figs sold commercially in the United States, and Mission figs remain one of the state’s best-known varieties.
What Do Mission Figs Taste Like?
Mission figs have an exceptionally rich, complex flavor. Their natural sweetness can suggest honey, caramel, ripe berries, and a subtle nuttiness.
The thin skin ranges from deep purple to almost black, while the soft interior turns a beautiful rosy-red as the fruit ripens.
Fresh figs are also quite delicate, which is part of what makes finding them at the farmers market so special. They are harvested ripe and ready to eat, so choosing a good fig makes all the difference.
How to Choose Fresh Figs
Look for fresh figs that are plump, fragrant, and slightly soft to the touch. A ripe fig should yield gently when pressed but should not feel mushy.
A few wrinkles are perfectly normal. Avoid figs that are badly bruised, leaking, or have begun to spoil.
And here’s one of our favorite farmers market tricks: Bring an empty egg carton. The individual compartments cradle ripe figs and help protect the delicate fruit from being squashed or bruised on the trip home.
How to Store Fresh Figs
Because fresh figs are highly perishable, refrigerate them soon after bringing them home.
Arrange them in a single layer if possible and handle them gently. For the best flavor and texture, enjoy fresh figs within a few days of purchase.
Take them out of the refrigerator a little before serving. Like many fruits, their flavor is more pronounced when they aren’t ice-cold.
Delicious Ways to Eat Fresh Figs
A perfectly ripe fig needs very little embellishment. Eat it just as it is — skin and all — for one of summer’s simplest treats.
Fresh figs also pair beautifully with:
- Goat cheese, ricotta, mascarpone, or blue cheese
- Prosciutto and other charcuterie
- Fresh greens and summer salads
- Plain yogurt and granola
- Toasted walnuts, almonds, or pistachios
- Honey
- Roasted poultry and meats
- Balsamic vinegar
- Fresh herbs such as thyme and rosemary
For an effortless appetizer, slice fresh figs in half and add a small spoonful of goat cheese or ricotta, a drizzle of local honey, and a few toasted nuts.
Figs also become wonderfully rich and jammy when roasted or baked, making them delicious in tarts, cakes, crostini, preserves, and savory dishes.
Are Fresh Figs Good for You?
Fresh figs offer more than wonderful flavor. They contain dietary fiber along with minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium, as well as naturally occurring plant compounds and antioxidants.
They are naturally sweet, so they can also satisfy the desire for something dessert-like while adding fruit and fiber to a meal or snack.
One large fresh fig contains only about 47 calories.
Five Fun Facts About Figs
- Figs belong to the mulberry family.
- What we think of as a fig “fruit” is actually a remarkable structure containing many tiny flowers inside it.
- California produces nearly all of the fresh figs sold commercially in the United States.
- Fresh California figs are generally available from late spring through fall, with peak season during summer.
- Mission figs take their name from the Franciscan missions where the variety was first cultivated in California.
Fresh fig season doesn’t last forever, which may be part of its charm. Whether eaten straight from the basket, paired with cheese and honey, tossed into a salad, or baked into something special, fresh California figs are one of the sweetest pleasures of the summer farmers market.
Fresh Fig Recipes
Have more figs than you can eat out of hand? That sounds like a very good problem to have.
Explore our favorite fresh fig recipes.
