2024 CALIFORNIA FRESH FIG SEASON GETS EARLY START

MADERA, Calif., July 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hot summer temperatures means good news for fresh fig lovers. Due to the extreme heat, the main harvest of the California Fresh Fig started a couple weeks earlier than usual, according to the California Fresh Fig Growers Association, and the fruit will be beautiful and plentiful well into the fall.

"After years of drought and fires, California fig orchards are the healthiest they've been in years," says Karla Stockli, Chief Executive Officer of the California Fresh Fig Growers Association. "This promises to be one of the best California Fresh Fig seasons we've ever seen!"

This year's first crop, known as the breba crop, delivered the first Mission figs of the season May-June. The main crop, now underway, is delivering plump and delicious varieties, such as Brown Turkeys, Missions and Sierras. Additional varieties will continue to become available through November.

In California, there are four primary varieties of fresh figs offering unique flavor notes: 

• Mission. Purple and black skin with deep earthy flavor.
• Brown Turkey. Light purple to black skin with robust flavor.
• Sierra. Light-colored skin with a fresh, sweet flavor.
• Tiger. Light yellow color with unique dark green stripes and a bright red-purple interior fruit with fruity, raspberry, citrus flavor.

California's fig growers continue to plant additional acres to meet consumer demand. From increased menu offerings in the restaurant industry to sampling and displays at grocery retailers, a comparable size crop to last year's nearly 10 million pounds will be harvested in 2024. This is good news following the pandemic and decline in foodservice sales.

While California Fresh Figs are available seasonally, California Dried Figs are a year-round staple, offering the same nutrition and taste benefits. Substitute dried figs for fresh in salads, sandwiches, pizzas, sauces, and more, to enjoy California Figs throughout the year.

For recipes and more information, visit CaliforniaFigs.com.

About the California Fig Advisory Board and the California Fresh Fig Growers Association
The California Fig Advisory Board and California Fresh Fig Growers Association promote awareness and the use of California-produced dried and fresh figs domestically and internationally. California fig growers, processors and marketers fund the activities of the industry.

Contact:
Kris Caputo
[email protected]
916-849-9323

SOURCE California Fresh Fig Growers Association