Dried Figs
Dried figs are sun-dried or dehydrated figs concentrated into a deeply sweet, chewy fruit used in baking, snacking, and savory pairings with cheese and meat.
How to buy
Look for figs that are plump and pliable, not rock-hard or crusted with excess surface sugar, which signals age. Common varieties include Black Mission (dark, rich, jammy) and Calimyrna/Smyrna (golden, nuttier, with a more pronounced crunch from their seeds).
How to store
Store in an airtight container in a cool pantry for a few months, or refrigerate for up to a year for longer freshness; freezing extends shelf life further still. If figs harden over time, simmer them briefly in water or wine to soften before using.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Intensely sweet and jammy with a honeyed, slightly caramelized depth, plus a subtle nutty, seedy crunch from the fig's interior.
- Texture
- Chewy and dense, with a slightly sticky exterior and a seed-studded, jammy interior once rehydrated or cooked.
- Aroma
- Deeply sweet and faintly musky, with honey and dried-fruit notes concentrated by the drying process.
How to prepare
- Eaten as a snack — Enjoyed plain, often paired with nuts and cheese.
- Rehydrated or simmered — Soaked or poached in wine, water, or syrup to soften for cooking.
- Chopped into baked goods — Folded into cookies, cakes, and holiday puddings.
- Stuffed — Filled with cheese or nuts and wrapped in prosciutto as an appetizer.
Classic dishes
American
- Fig Newtons — A soft cookie filled with a sweet dried fig paste.
Italian
- Fig and prosciutto appetizer — Dried or fresh figs wrapped with salty prosciutto as a simple starter.
- Panforte — A dense Tuscan spiced fruitcake packed with dried figs and nuts.
- Fig and nut bread — A dense loaf studded with chopped dried figs and walnuts.
French
- Braised pork with dried figs — Pork braised with wine and dried figs until the fruit softens into the sauce.
- Cheese board accompaniment — Dried figs served alongside a selection of cheeses for a sweet contrast.
Mediterranean
- Fig and goat cheese flatbread — Flatbread topped with dried fig jam, goat cheese, and honey.
- Fig compote — Dried figs simmered with wine and sugar into a thick, spreadable compote.
- Stuffed figs with blue cheese and walnuts — Dried figs split and filled with blue cheese and toasted walnuts.
- Fig compote for cheese plates — A thick fig and wine reduction served alongside sharp cheeses.
Middle Eastern
- Moroccan lamb tagine with dried fruit — Lamb braised slowly with dried figs, apricots, and warm spices.
- Charoset — A sweet fruit and nut mixture sometimes built on dried figs for Passover.
- Couscous with dried fruit — Steamed couscous studded with dried figs, apricots, and almonds.
British & Irish
- Christmas fruitcake — A dense holiday cake studded with dried figs and other preserved fruit.
- Mincemeat pie — A spiced dried fruit filling, sometimes including figs, baked into a pastry pie.