A guide to French figs: how best to serve them, the sweetest and best tasting varieties in France plus healthy, easy recipes using both fresh and dried figs.
French Fig Season
In France, fig season arrives late summer/beginning Autumn. So they're popular at the farmers' market mid August and all of September - sometimes until mid October! It's not unusual to see them next to the fresh girolles, as it's also mushroom season.
6500 tons of fresh figs were harvested in France in 2021, so they're popular in France.
Fig's Health Benefits
According to Aprifel for the French Ministry of Agriculture, figs are rich in antioxidants and a good source of fibre, vitamin B9 and potassium (with more potassium than bananas).
Their various researchers (same source) report they're anti-inflammatory containing phenolic acids, flavonoids, and contain anti-diabetic properties. So, not only do they help to reduce glycemic levels but are found to be anti-cancer too.
Are Figs a Fruit?
According to the botanists at the Potager du Roi in Versailles, figs are not fruits as such but inversed flowers.
La Quintinye, Louis XIV's botanist at Versailles, found a way to produce figs all year round. There are now 700 fig trees in the shadow of La Figuerie building in Versailles.
See much more on figs in my article on
the King's Vegetable Garden (Potager du Roi).
The Best Tasting Figs in France - Varieties
Figs are naturally sweet and the skin is edible but there are some even sweeter than others.
What's the sweetest fig? According to Truffaut, there are many varieties grown in France but La Noire de Caromb is the sweetest variety.
Quality figs such as la figue de Solliès are grown in the Mediterranean department of the Var, and have Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) status since 2006 and have been protected by AOP since 2011. Solliès figs represent 80% of national French production and known for their particular sweetness and floral notes.
Look out for the following at the market, which are excellent to eat on their own and in jam (see recipe below):
- Alma
- Cendrosa
- Col de Dame noir (also good for drying)
- Figue de Marseille
- La Bourgeoise
- Ronde de Bordeaux
- Sultane
Slang French Expression Using Figs
I don't give a fig for that!
English and French expression
The French don't say the same thing, meaning they don't care. Instead they say:
"Je m'en moque comme de ma première chemise !"
How Best to Serve Figs
In his Guide to Modern Cookery, Auguste Escoffier instructs his chefs and readers to "Place them on a layer of very green leaves, and surround them with broken ice".
Should Figs Be Refrigerated?
According to the French Ministry of Agriculture, it's best to store fresh figs outside the fridge for up to 4 days or up to a week in the fridge.
What Foods Pair Well With Figs?
- Fresh figs are a perfect match with cheeses and foie gras.
Serve some quartered on a cheeseboard - particularly good with goat's cheese like this warm salade de chèvre chaud. For strong cheeses (particularly those from Corsica), enjoy with fig jam. - According to French food scientist, Raphaël Haumont, figs have about 300 molecules that make up their distinctive taste.
As a result, fresh figs pair well with other foods with the same kinds of molecules such as coffee, bacon, carrots, oranges, apricots, ginger, cinnamon, pears, apples... - Figs are also an ideal decoration chopped on top of desserts and cakes. Top chopped fresh figs on carrot cakes, sticky orange caramel cake, French apple crumble cake, and Tiramisu.
- See more recipes below.
Fresh Fig Recipes
Here are some easy French recipes using the fresh fruits - from adding to salads to desserts.
Add chopped fresh figs to this fall salad with blue cheese, apples, avocado and pears. Either use Roquefort, Stilton or any of your favourite blues.
Roasted figs with Port and honey - this is so easy, it's hardly even a recipe! Halve figs and roast in the oven with a little honey and Port. This goes particularly well with French cheeses.
Add a touch of lavender for a French touch and it's delicious as a dessert on its own or served with ice cream. Great served as a side to this macaron Tiramisu dessert as delicious with coffee desserts.
Corsican Fig Jam - this recipe has been recently updated to reduce further the amount of sugar thanks so culinary science. Paired with orange, this isn't only delicious but the high amount of pectin thickens the jam naturally.
Serve on its own, dolloped on creamy French rice pudding or on top of fluffy brioche, crêpes and Scotch pancakes.
Add chopped fresh figs to decorate cakes such as this moist banana nut bread.
Figs also pair well with walnuts so use both of them, as in France they are in season around the same time of year.
Slice fresh figs and top on this easy Fig tart with almonds from my cookbook, Teatime in Paris. The same recipe base works well in this peach tart recipe.
Easy Recipe using Dry Figs
Chop up dried figs and use them in this Matrimonial Cake recipe. They make a delicious replacement for the traditional dried dates for these squares with oats.
As a result, it's a healthy oat version of Fig Newtons!
Delight Elaine Schwartz
I am going to have one of the largest crops of figs ever this summer, and I was searching for jam recipes. We do keto, my husband is a Type II diabetic, so a sugarfree approach to this recipe is important. I have found that using allulose and stevia sweetens just enough, for the thickening I use a generous amount of chia seeds, which add so much antioxidants a d good nutrition. Thank you for your post!