All guides
How to pick figs
3 min read
Southern farms mostly, and worth going out of your way for, because a shop fig has never been picked ripe.
6
farms
6
regions
June to October
picked
When you can pick figs
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Across every region on Pickeria. Darker months are peak somewhere; your own region is narrower, and the table below gives it.
What to look for
- 1
A ripe fig hangs down and its neck softens. One still pointing outward is days away
- 2
It should come off with the gentlest lift. Any resistance at all means wait
- 3
A bead of nectar at the eye is a good sign; a sour smell means it has gone over
- 4
The milky sap from the stem irritates skin, so long sleeves are worth it on a big pick
- 5
Figs do not ripen after picking at all, so there is nothing to gain by taking a firm one
What people get wrong
Every one of these is common enough to be worth naming.
- Picking a fig that still points outward from the branch. A ripe one hangs down and its neck softens
- Waiting for the skin to change colour on a green variety, which it will not
- Handling a lot of fruit with bare arms, because the milky sap irritates skin
- Expecting any improvement after picking. A fig is exactly as good as it was on the tree and no better
Varieties worth knowing
Farms post the variety at the gate. This is what the names mean.
Brown Turkey
The reliable one, grown further north than any other. Mild and sweet.
Celeste
The southern standard, small, sugary and closed at the eye, which keeps insects out.
Black Mission
The California classic. Deep purple, dense and jammy.
Kadota and Adriatic
Green-skinned when ripe, which unnerves people. Excellent, and the source of most dried and preserved figs.
Once you are home
Most people pick more than they planned to.
- Eat them the day you pick. This is genuinely the fruit where that advice is not a formality
- Halve and freeze the surplus, which works better than you would think
- Fig jam is quick, needs lemon for acid, and is the best use of a real glut
- Roast halves with honey and thyme for twenty minutes, which rescues anything slightly underripe
Where you can pick figs
6 farms across 6 regions, earliest season first. Every date came from the farm's own words.
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
June to October
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
July to September
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
July to August
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
August to September
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
August to September
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
August to September
The one farm that publishes a price
Taken from the farm's own website, never from a directory. Most publish nothing at all, so these are worth knowing.
