Figs
Mission figs peak in late July through August. The window is short — often just two or three weeks of genuinely perfect fruit. What you find now was picked ripe and won't be available like this again until next year.
How to choose it
- Deep purple to almost black — that's ripe, not overripe
- Slightly soft when gently pressed, especially near the base
- Sometimes splitting at the base — that's a good sign
- A small bead of sweetness near the stem means it's ready
- Avoid pale green or tan figs; they haven't ripened
Buy this much: 1 pint for the week. Plan to eat most of them within two days of buying.
Figs are briefly abundant in August and reasonably priced at farmers markets. Grocery store figs are available but often picked underripe for transport — the farmers market version is worth the detour this month.
During the week
- Halved on Greek yogurt in the morning
- Eaten as a snack, ripe, over the sink
- Sliced alongside cheese and crackers
On a weekend
The weekend plate: halved figs, torn burrata, prosciutto, arugula, olive oil, and flaky salt. Eat with bread.
One thing worth learning
A fig ripens from the outside in, not the inside out. The color tells you something. Black-purple with a soft give near the base is ready. A hard, pale fig won't ripen meaningfully on the counter — it will soften but not sweeten the way a tree-ripened one does.