How to store fresh figs

Ripe fresh figs should be refrigerated. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and the figs will be good for two or three days. Dried figs should be wrapped so that they don’t get hard and can then be stored at a cool room temperature or in the refrigerator.

It is recommended to limit portion size to about 2-3 figs per day. Moreover, dried figs serve as a healthy snack for gaining weight.

Refrigerating Fresh Figs

You can keep the figs in the fridge for about a week. It is important not to leave the figs out for more than 3 days.

Figs freeze well with or without sugar, peeled or unpeeled. Wash ripe figs thoroughly, remove stems, peel if desired, leave whole or cut in half. Freeze with or without sugar syrup. Freeze figs firm-ripe and whole for making preserves later.

Frozen figs make a fabulous addition to baked goods, like breads or muffins, where the fruit is simply stirred into a batter, or used in a filling. They can also be used in smoothies, homemade ice creams, jams and other preserves, and fruit sauces.

Since figs have a high fiber content, eating too many figs — especially dried figs — can cause diarrhea.

When refrigerated, figs could be stored for up to 7 days, but if frozen, fresh figs could be kept for 6-8 months. Freezing figs would cause them to change the texture. When they are thawed, they turn soft or mushy, but it is still good to freeze them for longer storage.

Clean fresh figs before eating them.

Rinse the figs under cool water and gently wipe them dry with clean paper towels. Since figs are so delicate, you should never scrub them with a vegetable brush.

No matter how you enjoy them, you’ll want to do it fast. The season is incredibly short! You can find them during an early summer season, or pick up a few during the main crop that runs from late summer to early fall. You can enjoy dried figs the rest of the year, but they taste better fresh if you know to eat them!

Fresh figs are usually eaten raw. They taste best eaten straight off the tree, ideally still warm from the sun. The entire fig is edible, from the thin skin to the red or purplish flesh and the myriad tiny seeds, but they can be peeled if you wish.

Figs are rich in magnesium, a mineral directly linked to improving the quality and duration of sleep. “They are rich in fibre and therefore, help you in avoiding those night time cravings. Figs also help in regulating metabolism and thereby reduce sleep disorders such as insomnia,” says Jotwani.

Figs are so expensive because they have a very short shelf life (3 days), during which they have to be sold, or dried and packed. They go off very quickly and producers risk losing entire crops this way.

May improve vascular and heart health

Figs may improve blood pressure and blood fat levels, which can help improve your vascular health and decrease your risk of heart disease. One study found that fig extract decreased blood pressure in rats with normal blood pressure, as well as those with elevated levels ( 11 ).

The nutrients and vitamins found in figs help balance sebum production, skin melanin, prevent epidermal water loss and more. This increases hydration and keeps the skin free from wrinkles and premature aging. When applied topically, figs can reduce the appearance of wrinkles by promoting collagen production.

Being rich in nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, manganese, potassium, copper and magnesium, figs can help in increasing metabolism. This will help you in weight loss and keeping your body slim.

Both are very nutritious

Though figs and dates come from different plants, they’re alike in their nutritional profiles. Per serving, dates provide slightly more carbs and less fat than figs. Both are an excellent source of dietary fiber and other important nutrients, such as potassium and magnesium.

Make sure that you consume them with empty stomach to get the best effect. Following this will help in easy and quick digestion of food as figs are rich in fiber, which reduces the possibility of you facing constipation problems.