Seasons/Availability
Figs are available May through December.
Current Facts
All dried figs harvested in the United States are grown in California's Central Valley. There are more than one hundred varieties of figs but only a few are commercially produced. The Black Mission fig is the best-known variety grown in California. Other varieties of figs include the Kadota fig, which is rounder and has a firm, thick, yellow-green skin. Its pale interior has a reddish-brown center. The Brunswick fig is large, dark brown in color and offers a mild flavor. The Brown Turkey fig produces a rich red flesh and a brownish-purple skin. Calimyrna figs have an amber flesh that drips a syrup, when ripe, from its eye located at its stem or bottom end. When partially ripe, the large and squat-shaped Calimyrna fig is yellow-green and turns a pale yellow when fully ripe. Rarely seen fresh, this fig has a slightly nutty, sweet flavor, but is very delicate and perishable. Because of its fragility, the Calimyrna fig is not often seen outside of California. The Celeste fig is violet-skinned and offers a tasty flesh that is rose-colored.
Description/Taste
Wrapped in a pliable soft skin, the brown fig's delicious meaty soft flesh contains edible seeds and offers an incomparable sweet taste.
Nutritional Value
Fresh figs are a good source of vitamin B6, protein, calcium, phosphorus and iron, plus are cholesterol-free, sodium-free and fat-free. A compound found in figs, called benzaldehyde, has been shown to help shrink tumors in some tests. Considered to be an antibacterial and antiulcer food, figs are a natural laxative. Eating five daily servings of fruits and vegetables lowers the chances of cancer. A recent study found that eating nine or ten daily servings of fruits and vegetables, combined with three servings of low-fat dairy products, were effective in lowering blood pressure.
Applications
Enhance flavor with a squeeze of lemon or orange juice. Make homemade jam. Flavor muffins, cookies, quick breads or fillings for cakes. Chop; blend with cottage cheese. To sweeten cooked cereal, add the last minute. Add yummy sweetness to plain yogurt. To ripen, keep at room temperature. Canned figs make a year round treat. Twelve to sixteen small or eight large figs equal about one pound. To prepare, wash well. To store, lay on a paper towel; cover with plastic; refrigerate up to three days. Use ripe figs immediately. Figs may be frozen up to six months.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Herodotus, Cato and Aristophanes make reference to the fig and in his Iliad as well as the Odyssey, Homer also mentions figs. The fig is said to have been the very favorite fruit of Cleopatra and ironically, the asp that ended her life was brought to her in a basket of figs. The fig has symbolic and spiritual importance in many ancient and even modern cultures. The ancient city of Attica was known for its figs. Solon, the ruler of Attica from 639 to 559 BC, made it illegal to export figs out of Greece, reserving this prized fruit solely for his citizens, whether rich or poor.
Geography/History
A rather confusing fruit story, the fig is actually a flower that is inverted into itself. Botanically not a single fruit, nearly fifteen hundred tiny fruits make up a fig, giving it its unique texture. The fig belongs to the same family as the mulberry and breadfruit, which are also multiple fruits. Figs are the only fruit allowed to fully ripen and semi-dry on the tree. California's dry and hot central valleys produce the largest amount of figs in the United States. This fruit is also an important crop in Greece, Turkey and Italy.
Featured Recipes
Recipes that include Brown Figs. One
is easiest, three is harder.
