I've come accross several references to this on the threads. The latex (especially when fresh) contains a proteolytic enzyme Ficin, that dissolves protein (like your skin and inside of your mouth), leaving it raw. By peeling the fig, the enzyme, located mostly in the skin, is largely removed. Leaving the fig overnight will also reduce the activity of the enzymes. Similar enzymes are found in Papaya latex (papain), and Pineapples (Bromelin). That is why fresh pineapple will also prevent jelly (with gelatin, an animal protein as gelling agent)  from setting, not only because it could be sour. I trust this will help some folks to enjoy more figs without feeling sore afterwards! I'm still a recent "a-fig-cionado", and have not had the pleasure yet of over-indulging in figs, but as a kid regularly did on pineapple, lychee and other fruits we grew 

This is why I always try and wait for the fruit to be completely ripe before picking. I have picked early fruits and the stem produces a drop of latex and well ripened fruit have not produced this droplet.  Therefore I Try and wait for full ripe fruits prior to picking especially for my kids as my kids have exhibited a sensitivity to the leaves and latex.

Interesting information, nyasagold.  When I was attacked and stung by fire ants, I cut off a leaf from one of the fig trees and applied the latex to the stings and they calmed down and never itched, or formed the itchy pustules they usually do.  All that was left was a small, red mark to show where I was stung.

When eating the figs from my grandparents' fig trees, we always broke the figs open and ate the insides off of the skin, because the latex tastes nasty.

noss

We have eat figs my whole life, while I understand this can happen,( I have never experienced this myself ) just wait for them to be ripe!!!! You just barely want to touch a ripe fig and it will come off on its own, if you have to use nails or fingers and pull hard, leave it be, its not ready yet and besides, you aren't going to get the full flavor of the figs and you will see the white blood come out. I won't eat it if this happens. wait for the fig to ripen.

Maggie, I agree pretty much, but there are varieties that definitely need to be wrestled off the tree, even when ripe.

If you pick a fig, and it oozes latex from the stem, it probably needed at least 2-4 more days before it was really ripe. Commercial growers consider them ripe when they do not bleed latex, but tree or truly ripe is usually a few days later.

I have an elderly friend who loves figs from his black mission tree, but complains that if he eats too many they "take the roof off" his mouth. I know he eats them skin and all, but don't know whether he lets them get fully ripe.

I grew up peeling my figs, but have found that if I peel a lot of them on several successive days, it thins out the skin on my fingertips till they're raw and painful. I had assumed it was due to abrasion from handling the slightly rough skin, but this makes me think it's probably due to the enzyme.

That would be horrible if you had a sore mouth after eating alot of figs, my goodness, I wouldn't like that. Look for that real hangman on stem really really well. Interesting JOn, which varieties are stubborn this way if don't mind me asking. 

Nyasgold wrote -  By peeling the fig, the enzyme, located mostly in the skin, is largely removed.

I'm not sure its in skin. I can eat figs all day long with skin on and no effect, but if i pinch enough young figs that have no chance to ripen the latex will have a effect on hands if i dont wash soon after or wear gloves if i pinch many. Picking ripe fruit i never see the latex bleed from that point on fig or the stem it came from.

I suspect some are eating figs not fully ripe and therfore contain small amount of latex inside skin at the point of release from stem and eating a few figs this way will surely cause irritation more to mouth area.
Since childhood eating ripe figs with skin on never had any bad effect.
Figs must be picked not before there true time .
I have had figs on some trees that were ripe that were stubborn to come off but only when tree was young first producing afterwards they come off with slight twist at the most. But i dont have a hundred trees either and maybe there are some types that do this.

I have had many figs in my life time but probably not as many as most of you but I don't seem to be/get bothered by it (Milk/Latex).

And I have eaten figs that are not ripe (fully).

I should consider myself lucky I guess and I am a person with a real bad allergies.

Figs showing latex at the stem are not ripe and their taste confirms it. The hang
man description of a ripe fig pretty much holds true with a broken neck,stretched skin and a tear in the eye(sometimes).A swollen fig still facing up is saying "wait a few days". Wading into a lush tree for that perfect fig wearing a short sleeve shirt will get latex on your skin. A lot of fog lessons come from experiences. Some of my best tasting figs looked overripe.

It seems to me, in an unripe fig, the latex resides just under the skin.  My nephew likes to pick his figs before they are fully ripe (stupid kid doesn't like "sweet").  I can taste the latex lingering in the fig.

~james

couple weeks ago while sampling figs at uc davis orchard for an entire day, we sampled over 100 a day. Many weren't ripe to perfection, so they did had some sap. My lips were badly burned, and I kept using chap stick. I've never had that problem eating figs growing up.  

The conclusion,Do not consume unripe figs,wait till totally ripe,if you do not know if you are sensitive to latex or not.
Totally ripe fig fruit= no latex =no sore mouth or lips.
If fruit get soured (and it does it often)after waiting,to ripe,for a long time,then discard the cultivar and grow one that doesn't sour in your climate,but dry on branch.
A cultivar can sour in your climate and do not sour in mine so no one can tell for sure wich cultivar is right for what climate.
One have to grow them to find out!
Here is an example of no souring cultivar:
Sicilian Black,pix,you will notice.
:
The eye is filled with glue and so no ,souring will occure if left to shrink and start drying on tree.

Herman, which cultivars do you have that dry on the bush?>

Bob :If I answer you with only a few cultivars that had ripe fruits in my fig trial row,I will do injustice to the other cultivars that were too young toshow me they can dry on tree too.
I only give you examples:Let say:
Dry on tree :Malta Black
Glued eye,no souring,:LSU Gold
I will make a list of the trees that are resistent to souring,in about 3 years from now.
At that time I will purge out all the other cultivars that can't withstand rain,and sour here.