by TM Petaccia

How short is fig season? Ramps have a longer annual run. Depending on weather conditions, we have four to eight weeks (if we are very lucky) in the summer to enjoy this succulent and ancient fruit.

Figs are one of the first plants cultivated by humans — evidence of the fruit reaches back as far as 11,000 years. Ancient Greek, Roman, and biblical texts are dotted with fig references. The first recorded planting of a fig tree in North America dates to a Spanish settlement on what is now Parris Island, off the coast of South Carolina, in 1577.

Today, fig trees are everywhere, even though we only get to enjoy their bounty for a short time. If you are lucky to have a fig tree in your yard (or a neighbor’s yard), congratulations, you have a built-in supply chain. Otherwise, your best source is to head to one of the numerous farmers markets throughout Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Once you’ve got them in hand, here’s how to make them last — and make them delicious.

Care and storage

In addition to a short season, as soon as you pick a fig off the tree, it starts to rot. Unlike peaches and other fruits, you can’t buy figs unripened and ripen them at home. You have to get them at peak ripeness. That means when you get them home, you have to hurry. At best, ripe figs will keep in the coldest part of your refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. It is possible to freeze figs. The methods vary depending on your goals. The website Food and Fizz offers a comprehensive overview.

How to enjoy figs

One of the reasons figs go back to the beginning of recorded time is because they are so versatile. Use them fresh in salads (just add some feta, mozzarella, or goat cheese), roast with meats (especially duck), make your own fig jam, or simply eat them as is.

UP writer Justin Burke-Samson offered recipes for seeded honey fig toast and roasted fig pie during past fig harvest years.

This year, we reached out to two fig fans — mixology consultant Bob Peters and Chef Sam Diminich of Your Farms, Your Table and Restaurant Constance — for  recipes to help you savor the 2022 fig season.

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Fig Time Hustle

Recipe by Bob Peters

1 fig, halved
2 oz. bourbon
½ oz. Amaro Montenegro
½ oz. Carpano Antica Formula

In a cocktail shaker, muddle one half of a fig. Add ice, followed by remaining ingredients. Shake, then double strain into a Nick and Nora glass. Garnish with remaining fig.

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Sea Scallop Crudo
with Country Ham, Figs and Orange Blossom Honey

Recipe by Sam Diminich
Serves: 4 

Ingredients

12 u-10 sea scallops
2 oz. country ham, julienne
8 large figs
4 oz. pickled Vidalia onions
2 oz. watermelon radish, julienne
1 head radicchio, quartered and sliced thinly
1 large or 2 small lemons, halved
Orange blossom honey (can substitute wildflower honey), to drizzle
Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
2 oz. toasted pumpkin seeds, to garnish (toss with a little togarashi powder for extra punch)

1. Using a sharp knife, slice the scallops into thin wheels for crudo base. Set aside. Repeat with figs.
2. On four chilled plates, spread slices of scallops evenly, then add figs in a shingle pattern on top of the scallops. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then top with pickled onions and ham. 
3. In a separate bowl, mix the radicchio and radish, then add to plates, making sure to maintain visual identity to scallops and figs.
4. Finish with a squeeze of lemon, drizzle of honey, and drizzle of olive oil, then garnish with pumpkin seeds.