Figs that are to be stored for the Holiday Season and Winter eating are ordinarily dried by allowing them to wilt on the trees and drop onto the ground in the orchards. If there is lawn under the trees, the figs must be picked up and placed on wooden or paper trays in the sun, or they may be dried in the oven with a slow heat. The oven door should be left ajar, and care taken not to heat the figs above 135 degrees F.

They should be kept in the oven, or dried at intervals, turning them occasionally until they have lost about 3/4 of their fresh weight. They should be stored immediately in air-tight jars to prevent insects from getting into them. Dried figs may also be kept in your freezer. Do not wash dried figs before freezing, just package dried figs without sugar in plastic bags or other suitable containers. Any defective figs should be sorted and discarded before drying. Sun-dried figs should also be heat-treated in this manner for about two hours if they are to be stored for very long.

You can find fresh California figs in the market from the middle of June through the first week in July, then from the beginning of August to the end of October. Look for fresh figs that are soft to the touch. Use figs as soon as possible -- they should be kept in the refrigerator for up to three days.

For more information on the cultivation of fresh fig trees, an excellent, informative website to explore is www.nafex.org, clicking under their NAFEX Fruit and Nut Interest Groups section.