Figs, Figs, Everywhere!
When figs are ripe, there is no time to waste.
That time came to Sonoma Valley last weekend, and our ExtraFood Share the Bounty glean team has been hard at work rescuing Mission and Kadota figs before the birds — or the ground — got to them first.
I adore figs not only because they're essentially nature's candy, but because they're one of the few fruits still very much seasonal. Figs are ripe for just a few weeks each year, which makes me appreciate and savor them even more.
Volunteering with the Sonoma Valley glean team has introduced me to so much local produce that's been in my own community all along — I just didn't know it.
For example, I've been a fan of Mission figs, with their deep purple exterior and ruby red interior, since I was a kid. I had no idea there were other varieties!
Thankfully, a homeowner less than a mile from where I live put out a gleaning request and introduced me to the Kadota fig. These figs stay green on the outside and have a beautiful amber interior, with the same sweet flavor I've learned to love in Mission figs.
Harvesting Kadota figs is more of a labor of love, since it's not easy to tell which ones are ripe by looks alone. It takes a soft touch to know which ones are ready to come off the tree, into a basket, and on to a local food pantry.
Part of the gleaning effort is ensuring that only the best-quality fruit makes its way to recipients in our community — one overly ripe piece can ruin a whole box.
Still, many of us volunteer gleaners are reluctant to toss all that still-good-but-overripe fruit in the compost bin, so we rescue it for ourselves.
During our most recent Kadota fig glean, several of us swapped favorite fig recipes, and with that inspiration, I got right to work on the figs I brought home. I knew they wouldn't last until the next day.
First, I turned to my dehydrator and dehydrated both whole and halved Kadota figs, which I plan to use in salads once fresh figs are out of season.
I also perfected a homemade fig bar recipe, inspired by one shared by a fellow volunteer. Sure, they look a little different from the fig cookies you might be used to from the grocery store — the filling is emerald green instead of deep purple — but your taste buds won't know the difference!
In fact, I had so many figs that needed processing ASAP that I ended up pureeing the rest and freezing it in individual portions, so I can enjoy this fig recipe eight more times throughout the year. Share the bounty, indeed 😊
~Allison McKeany, MS, RD
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