In Season: Australian Figs

Meg Hughes Mon, Mar 14, 2016

March is definitely the month to make the most of Aussie-grown figs - though kitchen creativity with nature’s late summer ambrosial goody bags can so often be overlooked.

This might be in part due to their high shelf price, but with websites like Ripe Near Me and burgeoning local produce markets, there’s plenty of options for sidestepping supermarkets to source reasonably priced and figs indulge in their luxurious floral sweetness.

Fig Facts

Figs, though referred to as fruit, are in fact sealed flower heads containing seeds, which gives the soft fleshy interior of a fig its characteristic crunch. Their skins can range from green to purplish-brown and even black, with colour indicating very little about the ripeness or taste of the fig itself.

Figs are an excellent source of fibre and also contain potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6 as well as protective antioxidants.

Selecting And Storing Figs

Ripe, ready-to-eat figs should be soft and springy when squeezed, with smooth, unblemished skin. Treat them like bananas in your shopping bag and store them in a plastic bag in the fridge to slow further ripening unless you intend to use them straight away. They’ll only keep like this for up 2-3 days, so grab your window of opportunity to either consume them fresh or prepare a fig dish.

Serving figs at room temperature makes the most of their flavour. If you need to, you can also speed up the ripening process by keeping them at room temperature until they feel soft and springy when gently squeezed.