The total phenolic compounds of Ficus carica extracted either by ethanol or by simple aqueous extraction were evaluated using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay and compared. The main parameters that affected the yield of phenolics included the condition of the Ficus carica, temperature of the extraction and solvent concentration. Generally, fresh frozen samples had the highest total phenolic contents. High extraction (about 80%) was obtained using ethanol as solvent and the percentage extraction could further be increased using a higher temperature of 80 ◦C.