Fig-picking and Fig Fruit Art

Hi fellow hivers and foodies. It’s fig season in Japan and @bearmol and I recently went to a little farm to do fig-picking. It was our first time to do it so I was a bit excited. The location was familiar because we had gone strawberry picking at the same farm some years ago. The fig area was a bit farther than the strawberry area. Somehow we got through with a same-day reservation. I think usually one has to make a reservation at least one day in advance. Fruit-picking was the perfect event to cheer me up as we had just sent our kids off to camp and I was missing them. @bearmol seemed to be quite okay and tried to cheer me up by doing and saying silly things to make me laugh.

At the Fig Farm

When we got to the farm, we were given baskets and cutters for picking. We were told how to cut the figs and what figs were fit for picking. We were even given a chart. On the chart, “X” represented the figs that weren’t fit for picking and “O” represented the ones fit for picking. “X” basically meant the figs were too young or not purple enough. The dark purple color is an indication that the fruit is ripe. I know that there are other kinds of figs that aren’t purple when ripe. I wonder what the picking criteria are for those types.

Fig-picking sign at the location. Ichijiku(いちじく) is the Japanese word for fig.

The chart indicating the ideal fruits to be picked and the ones that shouldn’t be picked.

The basket and cutter for fig-picking.

Time for Picking

There were two options for picking. Option one was all-you-can eat for forty-minutes. Customers pay a fixed price and then pick and eat all they can in the allotted time. We chose the second option which was to pick the amount we wanted, weigh it and then pay per gram.

We put on our gloves and started our little hunt for figs. While picking, we could hear other customers eating and saying how delicious the figs were. At one point I started wondering if we should have chosen option one but we wouldn’t have wanted to eat too many figs all at once. We could see figs at different stages of development.

Playing Around on the Farm

We played around a bit while picking. We noticed that one of the farmers was trimming some of the leaves. We used some of the leaves in our “photo shoot”. We picked about nine or ten figs in all. The leaves were relatively big so I’m some sections we had to carefully look got the figs in
case that they were ‘hidden”. Fig-picking was fun.

Leaving The Farm

We weighed our fruits, made the payment and said bye to other customers that we met. Some of them were still eating figs. They left the picking area but still sat to enjoy more figs. We couldn’t help but notice the beautiful neighboring rice fields. We took a few shots before leaving the area. Soon after we got in the car, we ate some of the figs. They were sweet and delicious.

From Farm to Table

The day after we went to the farm, I made a simple fruit plate using some of the figs and a few grapes that we had left in the refrigerator. I washed and cut the figs in slices and made some flower-like arrangements. Fresh figs are soft and delicate. I believe it’s best to have them soon after they’re cut.

Figs from the farm.

Grapes left in the refrigerator.

Presentation Plate

I chose two of the figs for the fruit plate.

I cut them open and realized the base of the figs were a bit too soft. I cut them off and then cut them in slices.

Fig slices


I used a small cutter to make thin slices of grape and then arranged the the fig and grape slices on the plate.

This was a delicious treat. Do you know the figgy pudding song often sung at Christmas time?
“Oh bring me some figgy pudding”

Believe it or not, I just found out a few days ago that figgy pudding is an actual pudding or treat made from figs. I didn’t know that. I just sang the song. Lol!
I didn’t grow up around figs and first had it here in Japan. It’s still relatively new to me.
Now I have an appreciation for it.
How do you usually prepare or eat figs?

Thank you for reading my post. Have a lovely weekend. 😃🎶