Figs — season, tips, and recipes in New Zealand
Figs is a fruit available in New Zealand during . This page is a practical guide for home cooks: when to buy figs, how to pick a good one, how to store it, what it goes well with, three original recipes, and detailed nutrition information.
Grown in small quantities in NZ, mainly in Hawke's Bay and Northland. Technically an inverted flower, not a fruit. If you find fresh ones, buy them immediately.
How to pick a good one
Should feel heavy and soft with a slight crack at the base. Eat within a day of buying. Unripe figs will not ripen further once picked.
How to store it
Fridge for a day at most. Extremely perishable. Eat them the day you buy them if possible.
Goes well with
honey: Honey and fig share floral aromatic compounds. The combination amplifies both without either dominating. Figs with honey and ricotta is three ingredients that together create something that tastes expensive.
goat cheese: Goat cheese's tang and mild acidity contrast with fig's heavy sweetness. The combination is used on flatbreads, in salads, and as a simple starter because it works every time.
prosciutto: Fig with prosciutto is the late-summer version of melon with prosciutto. Fig's sweetness is more complex and denser, which means the combination has more depth.
walnut: Walnut's bitterness and tannins contrast with fig's sweetness. The combination is used in salads and on cheese boards where the textural and flavour contrast is as important as each individual ingredient.
balsamic vinegar: A reduction of balsamic on figs adds acidity, sweetness, and depth simultaneously. The result tastes more complex than the ingredients deserve.
Recipes
Figs with Goat Cheese & Honey
The perfect 5-minute starter.
Ingredients: 6 figs, 100g soft goat cheese, 2 tbsp honey, handful walnuts, black pepper
Method: Halve figs. Arrange on plate. Dollop goat cheese. Drizzle honey. Scatter walnuts. Crack pepper.
Fig & Prosciutto Salad
Sweet, salty, autumn elegance.
Ingredients: 4 figs, 6 slices prosciutto, handful rocket, shaved parmesan, 1 tbsp olive oil, balsamic glaze
Method: Quarter figs. Arrange with torn prosciutto over rocket. Shave parmesan. Drizzle oil and balsamic.
Roasted Figs with Vanilla
Dessert. 10 minutes.
Ingredients: 6 figs, 2 tbsp honey, 1 tsp vanilla, knob butter
Method: Halve figs. Place cut-side up. Dot with butter, drizzle honey and vanilla. Roast 200C for 10 min. Serve with yoghurt or ice cream.
Nutrition
Two fresh figs provide 10% of your daily fibre, 7% of your potassium, and 5% of your calcium. One of the highest calcium fruits. Contains ficin, an enzyme that aids protein digestion. Dried figs are even more nutrient-dense: 4 dried figs provide 10% of your daily calcium. About 37 calories per fresh fig.