Figs have been cultivated on the banks of the Jordan Valley for over 5000 years. Ancient people knew the complicated art of harvest. Indeed, fig fruit is quite capricious both in harvest and storage: some varieties are green when ripe yet others are dark brown and shouldn't be picked under ripe. At the moment of harvest the fruit should be hanging on the stem rather than be perpendicular to it, a part of a stem is to be left to avoid quick spoilage, and during the harvest one should hold a fig for as little as possible to prevent bruising.
After harvest figs should be eaten, dried, or frozen as soon as possible. In the fridge they require the coolest place, cannot be laid in more than 1 layer on a plate, and if you put them near vegetables the latter may rotten. You can see just how precarious the fig harvest really is! The pickers should be real professionals not to waste the precious harvest. If everything is done properly, the fruit is soft and sweet. It is possible to store figs for longer, up to three years, on condition they are dried in the sun or with dehydrator.
Fresh figs are available only during the harvest which takes place between July and September.
