I wish I'd come up with this idea. But I didn't. It's someone else's. Someone more creative than me. Someone who has perhaps eaten more figs, more smashed figs than me; and I've eaten my fair share.
This someone, I'd never seen her before, wouldn't recognize her if I saw her again, had an egg carton in hand. She was choosing her figs one by one, perfectly ripe, soft, pliable figs, placing them in the egg carton until there were a dozen. A full purple dozen. Brilliant, I thought. And I did it too, put my figs in a carton.
Another day I cradled a dozen apricots in another egg carton, because they too are tender, so easily bruised. The fruit a precise fit. And for a moment, only a moment, I thought myself creative too.
But really, it was someone else's idea. 
I wish I'd stopped to thank her.
2 days ago
14 comments:
Great idea. I've never had a ripe fig to eat - they don't grow here but I do occasionally buy the dried ones. Which I love :)
viv in nz
Thank you! Great ideas are meant to be borrowed, and I plan to borrow this one. I'm grate that you're passing it along!
Thank you for sharing this idea! I always accumulate the cartons, and now I have a new use for it in addition to returning them to the store!
awesome and so obvious once learnt! thanks
knutty knitter - If you get the chance - well you know what I'm going to say - drop everything and eat that fresh fig. Funny that the first time I ever had a dried fig was last year. And I loved them that way too.
Tamara - I'm grate too. xxx
Kumi - I'm glad to spread the idea.
Kelly - I know. It's the most obvious ideas that are generally the most fun too.
I like this idea...now to find an egg carton big enough to handle tender, ripe peaches!
I ate smashed figs this week. Thanks for the idea!
Katrina, I cannot tell you how much I love this idea. It's perfect - brilliant, simple, exactly right. And it doesn't require any unnecessary extra purchases. One of those ideas you hear and think "of course". A big thank you from me to the mystery woman as well.
Eleanor - When you find a solution to getting those peaches home a few at a time, please let me know! When they're perfect they're also untouchable.
Chile - Thank goodness they're still good even when they're smashed! Happy fig carton to you all the same.
kathryn - I'm with you. And you'll make friends at the market when you carry your carton full of figs around too. Have fun.
I saw this idea a few months ago and have used it now that the figs are ripening. There is a problem with the really big figs but for the others it works wonderfully. When I want to transport ripe peaches for my lunch I wrap them individually in a soft kitchen towel. Obviously, that doesn't work when I buy them in bulk. Then I usually buy them a little under ripe and ripen them in a paper bag for a few days.
Brilliant. Today I came home from the farmers market with smooshed tomatoes - again. An egg crate will be perfect for next time. Now we just need to get some figs up this way.
Annie - I love wrapping fruit in towels too to carry to work. Or wrapping bowls in towels, tied in a knot at the top, to carry food to a friends home. It makes the offering feel tended to. I love that.
Audrey - The figs should be there shortly. They were heavy here last week and seemed sweeter than last year. May the sweetness come your way.
Egg cartons! Genius! :) I have a fig tree and always end up piling them in a bowl and they kind of collapse under their own weight. This sounds like a good solution.
great idea! I will start saving my egg cartons!
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