How to choose and cook figs?

A true delicacy, the fig is a false fruit

Like its cousin the blackberry – they are part of the same botanical family – the fig is an inflorescence. The purple purse that we mistake for a fruit is in fact a receptacle containing numerous flowers, which will then transform into fruits: these small seeds which crunch under the tooth.

From then on, we understand better why, since Antiquity, it has symbolized fertility. Greek mythology will make it an object of desire. The famous torture of Tantalus consisted of constantly having a branch loaded with fragrant figs within reach without ever being able to reach it. Associated with the goddess of the harvest in Roman mythology, it will be at all banquets where it is used as a natural sweetener.

How to choose figs?

The conquest of Gaul by Julius Caesar at least had the advantage of establishing the cultivation of fig trees in France. If French production is now losing momentum – most of it comes to us from Italy, Greece and Turkey – the Solliès AOC fig is one of the tastiest and most tender. Not to be missed under any circumstances if you are staying in the Var between the end of August and the beginning of November.

Because it is barely picked from the tree, still warm from the caresses of the sun, that it is the best. If you buy it fresh from the markets, choose the meatiest, the one with a dark color and a supple texture. No more wrinkled or stained dresses, signs of premature aging. On the other hand, a few “wrinkles” located towards the peduncle should not be avoided. It’s the promise of perfectly ripe fruit.

Fresh or dry?

Athletes praise the dried fig for its energy richness and its concentration of essential minerals. Sylphs love the richness in calcium and potassium of the fresh fruit, which also contains four times fewer calories (69.4 kcal/100 g). As a bonus, its B vitamin content helps fight anemia and strengthen the nervous system.
Fresh or dry, the fig remains generous in fiber and beneficial for food transit.

How to cook figs?

It offers lots of possibilities fresh and raw, simply added to salads, to a plate of Parma ham, to nuggets of old parmesan, to a platter of cold cuts and cheese, to a few scoops of vanilla ice cream. One of the simplest preparations for an autumn starter: in a dish, place large Italian white grapes, small goat cheeses and fresh figs incised in the shape of a cross so that they do not burst, and slide into the oven. As soon as the cheese has melted, we savor the melting figs, the creaminess of the goat cheese and the refreshing sensation of the grapes.

Also taste it as a warm compote enhanced with balsamic, as a puree with fresh crushed walnuts, as a skewer with pork, as a tagine with lamb, as a stew with eggplant and olives, or on a thin tart.

How to store figs?

For those who resist the temptation to bite into them straight away, know that these Mediterranean women don’t like to wait, especially in the cold. Freezing them is completely pointless: they become soft and bland. These chillies do not last more than two or three days in the refrigerator, in an airtight box because they are sensitive to odors. Promiscuity does not suit them either: the closer they are to each other, the quicker they fade.