Produce Briefs...
Maui Onions
Two characteristics set the Maui onion apart from other yellow onions: the high sugar and high moisture content of its flesh.
Rainbow Swiss Chard
Rainbow chard, also known a 5-color silverbeet, is a tender chard variety with multi-colored stalks of yellow, white, orange pink and red.
Seasons/Availability
Brown Turkey figs are available in early sppring through early winter. Beginning in winter, night temperatures drop and the fig is no longer at its best for culinary use. The interior of the fig becomes woody and dry, and the seeds begin to separate from the flesh.
Current Facts
There are almost two hundred cultivars of figs, thus they grow in a wide range of shapes, colors and textures. The Brown Turkey fig, Ficus carica is considered the best growing variety of figs. Other names for Brown Turkey figs include Aubique Noire, Negro Largo and San Piero. Brown Turkey fig trees bear a first crop, called the breba crop, in the spring from the last season's growth. The second crop is borne in the fall on the new growth and is known as the main crop.
Description/Taste
The Brown Turkey fig has a variegated, rusted red to purple skin with slightly pale green shoulders. The fruit will often crack upon ripeness, exposing its flesh at its stem end and sometimes . Its flesh is the color of a rosé with amber-toned edible seeds. The edible seeds are numerous and generally hollow, unless pollinated. Pollinated seeds provide the characteristic nutty taste of dried figs. The overall flavor of a ready-to-eat Brown Turkey fig is decadently sweet, providing flavors of hazelnuts and confectionaries.
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.
Applications
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.
Geography/History
Figs are one of the very first plants to be cultivated by humans. They have been documented throughout history as a food source for over 11,000 years. They were first cultivated in ancient Egypt, though they are believed to be indigenous to Western Asia. Figs still have a huge presence in Northern Africa and throughout the eastern Mediterranean, specifically Greece and Turkey. Brown Turkey figs are originally from Provence, France. They have been naturalized throughout the Western Mediterranean and temperate regions of the United States, though they grow best in Southern California. Figs require full sun all day to ripen palatable fruits. Cold Springs and cloudy Summers can lead to a dismal fig season.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Brown Turkey Figs. One
is easiest, three is harder.
Brown Turkey figs are available in early sppring through early winter. Beginning in winter, night temperatures drop and the fig is no longer at its best for culinary use. The interior of the fig becomes woody and dry, and the seeds begin to separate from the flesh.
Current Facts
There are almost two hundred cultivars of figs, thus they grow in a wide range of shapes, colors and textures. The Brown Turkey fig, Ficus carica is considered the best growing variety of figs. Other names for Brown Turkey figs include Aubique Noire, Negro Largo and San Piero. Brown Turkey fig trees bear a first crop, called the breba crop, in the spring from the last season's growth. The second crop is borne in the fall on the new growth and is known as the main crop.
Description/Taste
The Brown Turkey fig has a variegated, rusted red to purple skin with slightly pale green shoulders. The fruit will often crack upon ripeness, exposing its flesh at its stem end and sometimes . Its flesh is the color of a rosé with amber-toned edible seeds. The edible seeds are numerous and generally hollow, unless pollinated. Pollinated seeds provide the characteristic nutty taste of dried figs. The overall flavor of a ready-to-eat Brown Turkey fig is decadently sweet, providing flavors of hazelnuts and confectionaries.
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.
Applications
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.
Geography/History
Figs are one of the very first plants to be cultivated by humans. They have been documented throughout history as a food source for over 11,000 years. They were first cultivated in ancient Egypt, though they are believed to be indigenous to Western Asia. Figs still have a huge presence in Northern Africa and throughout the eastern Mediterranean, specifically Greece and Turkey. Brown Turkey figs are originally from Provence, France. They have been naturalized throughout the Western Mediterranean and temperate regions of the United States, though they grow best in Southern California. Figs require full sun all day to ripen palatable fruits. Cold Springs and cloudy Summers can lead to a dismal fig season.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Brown Turkey Figs. One
is easiest, three is harder.
