Can You Eat Unripe Figs? Ripening and Harvest Time and How to Ripen Them

The fig is a fairly common fruit, containing a variety of trace elements the human body needs, and it can effectively lower blood pressure, fight inflammation and reduce swelling, so its edible value is extremely high. In addition, it also has high ornamental value, so many people like to plant it in courtyards or parks. So when do figs ripen and hit the market? Can you eat them unripe? How do you ripen them?

1. When do figs ripen?

Fig trees are extremely easy to cultivate in the south, and their fruit yield is very high. After planting, the tree can begin bearing fruit in 2-3 years, and after 6-7 years it enters the full-bearing period, with the yield still increasing year by year. The ripening period of figs grown in orchards is much the same: generally the summer fruit ripens in early July, the autumn fruit ripens successively from late August to mid-October, and the leaves fall in late November.

In China, from the Yellow River basin in the north to the vast regions of Guangdong, Hainan and Yunnan in the south, all are suitable ecological zones for fig cultivation. Because of differences in region, temperature, sunlight and so on, figs in the north ripen later, usually ripening at the end of October or the beginning of November, after which the leaves gradually fall, and then new leaves sprout again the following spring.

2. Can you eat figs that are not ripe?

It is best not to eat them when they are not ripe, because eating too many will cause a lot of unnecessary discomfort in our bodies, and may even cause redness and swelling of the mouth. The milky sap of unripe fruit contains active ingredients such as psoralen and bergapten, while from the juice of the ripe fruit a aromatic substance called benzaldehyde can be extracted. Both have the effect of preventing and fighting cancer and strengthening the body's resistance to disease, can prevent the occurrence of many kinds of cancer, delay the development of transplanted adenocarcinoma and lymphosarcoma, promote their regression, and do not produce toxic harm to normal cells.

3. How do you ripen figs that are not ripe?

Ripening with fruit: many fruits have strong respiration, and during respiration they produce some ethylene gas, which has the effect of ripening fruit. Therefore, putting green figs together with these fruits can have a ripening effect, and generally after 2-4 days of storage they will be completely ripe. Fruits with a ripening effect include: bananas, apples, kiwis, avocados and so on.

4. How do you store fresh figs?

1. Fresh figs can be stored frozen in the refrigerator; although the storage period is as long as more than three months, the taste will be affected to a certain extent.

2. If there is no refrigerator at home, you can spread the fresh figs flat on a clean table or wooden board and open the window for ventilation, so they will keep a little longer.

3. Fresh figs are very hard to keep for long, so they can be made into dried figs, preserved fruit, jam, juice and so on, which allows them to be stored for a very long time.

5. What are the benefits of eating figs?

1. Eliminating fatigue: figs are rich in amino acids, with the highest content being aspartic acid, which has a very good effect on fighting leukemia, restoring physical strength and eliminating fatigue, so in other countries a fig drink is used as a “coffee substitute”.

2. Lubricating the intestines and relieving constipation: figs are rich in malic acid, citric acid, lipase, protease, hydrolase and other components, which can help the human body digest food and stimulate appetite; and because they contain many kinds of lipids, they have the effect of lubricating the intestines and relieving constipation.

3. Strengthening the body: figs contain a large number of inorganic elements beneficial to the human body, and do not contain inorganic elements such as Co, Cd, Pb and so on that are liable to cause cancer, so they have a good effect on enhancing the body's health and its ability to fight cancer.

4. Controlling blood sugar: the dietary fiber that figs are rich in can cause various harmful substances in the intestines to be adsorbed and excreted, purify the intestines, and promote the reproduction of beneficial bacteria, thereby inhibiting the rise in blood sugar, maintaining normal cholesterol levels, and eliminating carcinogenic substances.

5. Lowering blood lipids: the lipase, hydrolase and so on contained in figs have the function of lowering blood lipids and breaking down blood lipids, and can reduce the deposition of fat in blood vessels, thereby lowering blood pressure and preventing coronary heart disease.

6. Preventing and fighting cancer: certain components contained in figs have the effect of preventing and fighting cancer and strengthening the body's resistance to disease, can prevent the occurrence of many kinds of cancer, delay the development of transplanted adenocarcinoma and lymphosarcoma, promote their regression, and do not produce toxic harm to normal cells.