I spotted some gorgeous looking figs at the store the other day and became intrigued with this gem of a fruit.
The fig crop is never very large each year so it makes the fig more of a unique and rare fruit in some regions of the world. For most areas, the fig is in season during late summer to early fall.
And, I have found out that figs can even be grown in my own backyard here in the hot weather of Georgia, U.S.
Selection
If you are lucky enough to find figs at your local market in the warm weather months, you want to select figs that feel ripe and tender, but no overly ripe. Figs are picked when they are ripe as they do not ripen much after picking. They need to be eaten within a few days of purchasing or they will quickly go bad. It is much more common to find dried figs because the fresh varieties are extremely perishable.
Preparation
A good way to use figs that are slightly overripe is to make a fig jam, poach them, or cook them in a mixed dish. To eat a fresh fig, simply wash, and slice. Figs pair well with cheeses, on salads, or topped with nuts. Store any uneaten figs in the refrigerator, covered, until you eat them.
Nutrition
Figs are a good source of potassium and manganese, and an excellent source of fiber. That extra fiber can help with weight loss as well! Surprisingly, figs contain calcium and enough to be considered one of the highest plant sources of calcium. Figs are high in antioxidants, but have a laxative effect so don’t go too crazy.
100 grams of fresh figs would contain:
- 74 Calories
- .3g of fat
- 1mg of sodium
- 17mg of magnesium
- 232mg of potassium
- 19.2g of carbs
- 15.9g of sugar
- 3.3g of fiber
- .75g of protein
- 142 IU vitamin A
- 2mg vitamin C
- 35mg Calcium
- .37mg iron
When I was a kid, all I knew about figs was that they become Fig Newton cookies! I was so surprised to find out what a fresh fig tasted and looked like. They are chewy on the outside and more soft, sweet, and crunchy (because of all the seeds) on the inside.
Are there any fruits that you have rediscovered as an adult?
Source: California Fresh Figs
I live in the upper midwest, where it is not possible to grow figs, except in a pot. I got three dwarf fig trees from a catalog and gave one of them to a neighbor. Three years later, and on my two trees I had a total of 3 figs, while he had over 50 on his. Go figure! He did give me a few
Thanks for the information. Figs are currently available in our grocery store in Japan which tend to carry only seasonal food. They are delicious. Keep up the posts on when fruit and vegetables are at their peak!!
Good article!thanks for revealing some important facts and nutritional value about this fruit.Figs is excellent source of fiber. That extra fiber can help with weight loss as well and a good source of anti oxidant to help us clean our body.
I am actually not a huge fan of figs. I think they’re too jammy and sweet-I prefer juicy and crisp fruit. I love mango–I never had it much as a kid, but I tried it as an adult and I think it’s fantastic.