In Season: How to Buy the Best Figs

Before you make these Fig & Pig Kebabs, read on to learn how to choose the very best figs!
Buy: Go for soft (but not squishy) fruit that smells fresh. Past-their-prime figs will smell funky or fermented. There are hundreds of fig varieties, but you’re most likely to find Black Mission (dark-purple skin, reddish-pink flesh) or Calimyrna (greenish-yellow skin, peachy-pink flesh) at the market.
Store: When you get home, arrange figs in a single layer and stick them in the fridge, where they’ll keep for up to 1 week. Leaving them piled on top of one another could lead to bruising, which speeds up spoilage.
Prep: Give ’em a quick rinse and remove the stem if it’s still attached. Slice figs for topping salads or desserts; halve them and cook them on the grill; wrap them in prosciutto—or just pop them in your mouth!
More fig recipes to try: