 |
 |
|
Originally hailing from southern Europe, Asia
and Africa, figs were thought to be sacred by
the ancients; they were also an early symbol of
peace and prosperity. Figs were brought to
North America by the Spanish Franciscan
missionaries who came to set up Catholic
missions in southern California . . . Hence the
now-popular Mission fig. There are
hundreds of varieties of figs, all having in
common a soft flesh with a
plenitude of tiny edible seeds. They range
in color from purple-black to almost white and
in shape from round to oval. The most well-known
varieties today include the green-skinned,
white-fleshed Adriatic; the pear-shaped,
violet- to brown-skinned Brown Turkey;
the large,
squat white-fleshed, green-skinned
Calimyrna (when grown in California) or
Smyrna (when from Turkey); the Celeste,
medium and pear-shaped, with a purple skin and
pinkish pulp; the Kadota, a small,
thick-skinned, yellow-green fruit; the
Magnolia (also called Brunswick),
large, with a pinkish-yellow flesh and amber
skin; and the purple-black Mission (or
Black Mission), with its extremely small
seeds. Fresh figs are available from June
through October. They're extremely perishable
and should be used soon after they're purchased.
Figs may be stored in the refrigerator for 2 to
3 days. They're also sold candied, dried or
canned in sugar syrup or water. Fig
concentrate is a thick,
syrupy, seedless purée of figs. It's used to
flavor cakes and other desserts, as well as for
a topping over ice cream, fruit, cake and so on.
Fig concentrate can be found in natural food
stores and some supermarkets. All figs are a
good source of iron, calcium and phosphorus.fig,
name for members of the genus Ficus of
the family Moraceae (mulberry
family). This large genus contains some 800
species of widely varied tropical vines (some of
which are
epiphytic);
shrubs; and trees, including the banyan, the
peepul,
or bo tree, and the India-rubber tree. It
differs from other genera of the family in that
the hundreds of tiny female flowers are borne on
the inside of a syconium, a fleshy
fruitlike
receptacle
with a small opening at the apex. The common fig
(F. carica), a native of the
Mediterranean area, has been bred and cultivated
from early times for its commercially valuable
fruit and has been naturalized in other parts of
the world that have a mild, semiarid climate; in
the United States, figs are grown in California,
Texas, Utah, Oregon, and Washington. Some edible
varieties (e.g., the Smyrna, among the best) can
be pollinated only by the fig wasp (Blastophaga),
which passes its larval stage inside the
inedible
fruit of a wild variety called the
caprifig.
In order to produce mature fruit, the cultivated
variety is subjected to a process called
caprification;
flowering branches of caprifig are hung in the
tree so that the emerging wasps will transfer
caprifig pollen to the edible fig. After
entering the receptacle and laying its eggs, the
wasp dies and its body and eggs are absorbed by
the developing fruit; only the eggs laid inside
the caprifig fruit survive. Other edible
varieties (e.g., the Adriatic or mission fig)
bear larger fruits when caprificated. The ripe
fruit (called a synconium) contains masses of
tiny seeds and is soft and pear-shaped; it may
be greenish, yellow to orange, or purple in
color. The name fig is also applied to
various unrelated plants that either resemble
the fig tree or bear figlike fruits. Figs are
classified in the division
Magnoliophyta,
class Magnoliopsida, order Urticales, family
Moraceae. |
 |
The soil and climate in city of Estahban near
Shiraz center of Fars province are ideal for
growing the best figs in the world.
Figs orchards in Estahban cultivated by dry
farming and their fruits are naturally sun
dried.
Most of activity in the orchards of figs begins
in May as the fruit appears on the tree and
culminates in October when the first picking of
dried figs started. |
|
Grades & Classifications |
|
The dried figs can be
classified in size as below : (
number of figs per 100gr ) |
|
Grade A : up to 8 |
|
Grade B : 9 to 15 |
|
Grade C : 16 to 25 |
|
|
|
Characteristic : |
Dried figs are absolutely
subject to fumigation , washing and
U.V light treatment.
consistency : free flowing
before being processed.
|
|
Moisture: %6 |
|
Contamination: %3 |
|
External materials: %2 |
|
Odor : free of foreign odor |
|
 |
|
After processing and selecting the figs, they
are graded in different sizes by All grade for
dried figs are as follows: |
|
GRADE |
AAA |
AA |
A |
B |
|
Diameter/mm |
D>22 |
D>22 |
22>D>18 |
14<D<18 |
|
Piece /Kg |
160-170 |
160-170 |
210-220 |
300-320 |
|
 |
Figs can be part of almost any special diet, be
it low fat, low sodium, high fiber, weight loss,
diabetic or even the Mediterranean. They satisfy
a sweet tooth without adding any fat. Their
unique satiny texture and seeds provide a
satisfying mouth feel and crunch.
2. Figs are fat-free, sodium-free and, like
other plant foods, cholesterol-free.
3. Figs are high in fiber, providing 20% of the
Daily Value --- more dietary fiber per serving
than any other common dried or fresh fruit.
4. Of the approximately five grams of fiber per
serving of figs, four grams are insoluble and
one gram is water-soluble.
5. Figs have the highest overall mineral content
of all common fruits. A 40 gram (1/4 cup)
serving provides 244 mg of potassium (7% of the
DV), 53 mg of calcium (6% of the DV) and 1.2 mg
of iron (6% of the DV).
6. Figs fit into 5-A-Day -- the 40 gram serving
is an easy way to add a serving of fruit to
reach the daily recommendation of five fruits
and vegetables.
7. The antioxidant boost provided by fruit
consumption lasts about 2 hours. Which dried
fruits are the best? Of the six fruits
tested--apricots, cranberries, dates, figs,
raisins and plums--shooting to a surprise finish
at number one was... figs! Even the high
fructose corn syrup in the soda is no match for
the antioxidant power of fruit. Despite the
double sugar load, subjects washing down their
figs with soda still experienced an overall rise
in antioxidant levels in their bloodstream. In
addition to having the highest antioxidant
content among the six fruits tested, of the
thousands of whole foods in the USDA nutrient
database, figs make the top ten for fiber
content. |
 |
|
Serving Size 30g (~1.1 oz.)
(Approx. 15.2 Servings/Pound)
|
|
Amount Per Serving |
|
Calories
170 |
Calories From Fat 110 |
|
% Daily Value * |
|
Total Fat
13g |
20% |
|
Saturated Fat 1.5g |
8% |
|
Cholesterol
0mg |
0% |
|
Sodium
190mg |
8% |
|
Total Carbohydrate
9g |
3% |
|
Dietary Fiber 3g |
12% |
|
Sugars 2g |
|
|
Protein
6g |
|
|
Vitamin A 4% |
Vitamin C 2% |
|
Calcium 4% |
Iron 6% |
|
** Contains less than 2 percent of the
Daily Value of these nutrients. |
|
* Percent Daily Values are based on a
2,000 calorie diet |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
| |
|
|
