can dried figs go bad?

[aililiu]

i mean, i guess they could eventually. a couple of weeks ago i got a bag of dried calimyrna figs from a bulk bin in my health food shop and they were GORGEOUS, &the beginning of a definate love affair with figs. :p yesterday i went back for more figs, got the same ones, but they just... do not smell or taste the same, and not as good :confused: can i take them back? or are they probably fine?

[rawgreenyogini]

I believe that if something isn't dried enough and still contains even small amount of natural water, it can go bad. I would take them back to the HFS. Tell them the situation. Since the HFS doesn't make them, they should be concerned of their customers who eat them.

[aililiu]

i love how you always post answers to my questions :p
i might do that, yeah, even if theyre not bad enough to make me sick, they are just not enjoyable. &i want enjoyable figs! lol

[rawgreenyogini]

i love how you always post answers to my questions :p
i might do that, yeah, even if theyre not bad enough to make me sick, they are just not enjoyable. &i want enjoyable figs! lol

Well....gosh :::blushing:::.... You are very welcome. I think we are always on the computer at the same time!!! LOL!

[aililiu]

its because were west coasties... :D we dont live too far away from each other, even if we are in different countries :p

[trinity082482]

Anything dried like fig.. can taste bad if its been around too long... it doesnt have to go modly.. but it could taste stale or a bit "off" not as delicious as it once did. Usually figs last a while.

[rawzeit]

Maybe they had worms in them. :D

Like dates, dried figs can have worms so you should always check them first.

[Sunshine9]

yeah they can go bad.

If you keep them in the fridge it's less likely.

[mathteacher]

My HFS won't take anything from bulk as a return. You might want to call them before making the trip.

Mickie

[aililiu]

worms ?? :eek: how ... appetizing.

they just smell kind of.. odd.
i should really buy the sealed ones.... they are just so much more expensive!

they ARE calimyrna figs which have more moisture than mission figs, i guess they might not last as long.

:( my figgies :(

[rawgreenyogini]

Maybe they had worms in them. :D

Like dates, dried figs can have worms so you should always check them first.

yes they do! I have found several DEAD worms in my dates lately. A little worm protein won't kill me...right?...anyone...?:eek:

[aililiu]

LOL!!! its raw at any rate. oh, ew.
im definately buying sealed ones from now on. :p
plus i guess then i could know for sure that theyre low-temp/sun dried.
i shouldnt be eating toooo many of them, anyways. lol.
but i do love my figgies.


:D

also, i felt sooooo sick yesterday, very nauseous, i think it was because i ate a few of the figs anyways in the hope that they were okay, but im feeling better today although...... ive had quite the clean-out, if you get what i mean. oh, the tummy cramps.

:o

[rawgreenyogini]

also, i felt sooooo sick yesterday, very nauseous, i think it was because i ate a few of the figs anyways in the hope that they were okay, but im feeling better today although...... ive had quite the clean-out, if you get what i mean. oh, the tummy cramps.
:o[/QUOTE]


Did you call the HFS or take them back? You really should. I'm sure they would want to know their supplier is giving them bad dried fruits. Maybe you could be their OFFICIAL TASTE TESTER from now on. Yeah, you could have them give you FREE dried fruit to enjoy....I mean taste test for freshness....:p

[aililiu]

LOL! id love to suggest that just to see the look on their faces. teehee
im going to phone today. maybe ill threaten to shop at the OTHER health food store from now on. :p (i shop at both anyways but they dont know that)

[veganman]

Hi Aililiu -

Calimyrna figs from the US are hard to come by this time of year. Most likely, they are from Turkey, but your HFS could verify that for you.

Also, because of the way that Calimyrnas are pollinated (by wasps - it is really quite fascinating...), they have a higher rate of tasting "off" than the black mission variety. There is a hole left in the fig after the wasp crawls out that moisture can get into, or bugs. They are not necessarily bad or harmful, but just don't taste as good as when they are "on".

[Shona]

I bought two packages of dried figs quite a while ago when they were on sale. I find figs very sweet and it took me a long time to eat them, but they kept just fine in my pantry.

I didn't know about worms either. Ewww. :(

[Dimond]

Anyone have fresh figs? Been wondering what they taste like.

[rawzeit]

I had some fresh figs the other week. They had them in my regular supermarket (so probably not organic) and very very pricey. They didn't taste very sweet. In fact, they didn't taste like much at all. There were three in the box, I ate one just like that and put the other two in a salad. :)

[aililiu]

i like the juiciness of fresh figs but yeah, they havent as much flavour. but then, i can only get brown turkish figs fresh, and dried i can only find black mission, and calimyrna. black missions i like for recipes but calis are my true love.

veganman... that is really interesting. hmm. i dont THINK its worms, i didnt see any, so maybe thats it. ive also heard that while black missions are left fully dried, calis are dried out and then plumped a bit, they put some moisture back into them. has anyone else heard this?

ive no idea where they came from, actually, they were from the bulk bin :rolleyes: i suppose i could ask. or pay more and get them sealed. hmm.

thanks for the info, guys.

[veganman]

Hi Aililiu -

some calimyrnas are washed in hot water to rehydrate them. Conadrias are like that as well. You would want to talk with the supplier to make sure the ones you are getting are not treated that way. There are a few farmers that don't do that because they realize that it can cause the figs to mold faster. The cold water wash is better in my opinion as it doesn't affect enzymes.

[aililiu]

wow... thanks for that info veganman. ill def look into that
looks like ill have to shell out for the safe packaged ones.
too bad my paycheques are so small. lol
and too bad i love figs wayyy too much to give them up! :D