A fig is a fig. Figs grow in hot countries and look like dark blue and purple berries with red flesh. Other names: fig or fig tree, and in Russia - wine berry. True, figs were called wine berry in the 18th century, when the plant just entered the country.
Figs are useful: in medicine, since ancient times, its berries and fresh leaves have been actively used. Figs are delicious, they are eaten fresh and dried, they make jam and dry marshmallows, cocktails, broths and compote from them. But it also has contraindications, and for some people, figs can be harmful.
Fig berries contain:
- vitamins B6, B5, B9, B1 and B2;
- vitamins A, C and PP;
- beta carotene, antioxidants and fiber;
- iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, sodium;
- fatty acids Omega-6 and Omega-3;
- glucose, fructose and rutin;
- tanning elements and fuqin enzyme.
In one fig berry: o, 13mg B6, 4mg B5, 3, 2mg iron, 190mg potassium, 17mg magnesium, 35mg calcium, 14mg phosphorus and 18mg sodium. And 100g of dried berries can provide a person with 4% of the daily value of B vitamins and 3% of the daily value of iron.
The calorie content of fresh figs is 55 kcal: carbohydrates 12g, fats 0.2g, protein 0.7g. And the calorie content of dried figs is 255 kcal. Dried figs also contain more useful minerals and vitamins than fresh ones.
Fig berries are blue or purple. The chemical composition is almost the same, but purple berries have more sugar.
Fresh figs rarely appear on the market, because they cannot be stored for more than three days. But in hot countries you can buy fresh, and in order to understand whether the berries are ripe, you need to press on their upper part (opposite the leg). If this part is soft, the berry is ripe.
How is it useful?
In medicine, figs are used as part of a comprehensive treatment for:
- high blood pressure;
- lack of calcium, if you need to strengthen the bones;
- diseases of the respiratory system;
- anemia;
- colds;
- constipation.
Fig is also useful as a prophylactic agent against cancer and diabetes mellitus. It cleans the body of cholesterol, helps if you need to lose weight, helps with problems with the digestive system. And when it is necessary to remove stones from the kidneys, figs are also used.
In folk medicine, figs are used to:
- stop hair loss or make nails stronger;
- cure fungus or skin pathologies;
- bring down the temperature;
- relieve pain;
- recover from illness.
Figs are also useful for diseases of the cardiovascular system, because they contain a lot of potassium.
For men, fig is good because it improves potency. For men suffering from hypertension and heart disease, this is important - diseases of the cardiovascular system often lead to erectile dysfunction.
For women, figs are useful because they protect against varicose veins, from swelling of the legs and from cramps in the calves. Cramps and swelling are often caused by wearing high heels, and dried figs replenish calcium, potassium and magnesium in the body and relieve these symptoms. It also accelerates skin regeneration and is useful for losing weight.
Children can also eat figs if they are not allergic. For them, figs are good because it improves digestion and helps in the development of the nervous, immune and circulatory systems.
Pregnant figs are also possible, if there are no individual contraindications. Berries are high in folic acid, which is useful for the formation of the neural tube in the fetus, and iron will prevent anemia. Fig stimulates lactation, so nursing mothers can eat it in small doses.
What is harmful?
There is no harm, but there are contraindications. Figs should not be eaten by people who have:
- diabetes mellitus, because there is too much sugar in figs;
- gout - figs are rich in oxalic acid, which will exacerbate seizures;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, since figs contain fiber, it increases the contents of the intestine, stretching its walls, and this can increase inflammation.
If a person wants to lose weight, it is not worth eating dried figs, too high-calorie - 255 kcal, and fresh, on the contrary, can and will even be beneficial. When traveling, berries should also be discarded, because they have a pronounced laxative effect.
How much can you eat?
For an adult, the daily intake of figs:
- fresh berries - from 50 to 100g;
- dried berries - from 30 to 50g.
Dried figs have a lower rate, because they contain more vitamins and minerals, more calories and more sugar.
How to cook?
Main dishes: plum fig - an old Russian delicacy, pie with figs and apples, salad with figs and figs with currant liqueur.
Plum fig
Interestingly, figs are not needed for this dish, plums are needed, and as a result, you get a dryish marmalade - a delicious and healthy dessert.
Ingredients: 1kg plum, 0.5 faceted glass of sugar.
Cover the baking sheet with parchment, cut the washed plums, free them from the pits and put them on a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and leave the plums in it for 20 minutes.
When the plums are ready, they need to be allowed to cool, then beat them with a blender until puree, add sugar and stir. Then again apply this mixture to a baking sheet, a layer - 5 mm. There may be several baking sheets. It is necessary to preheat the oven to 80 degrees and leave the baking sheets in it for 7-8 hours. Everything is ready when the mixture is dry and smooth.
The finished fig must be removed from the parchment, cut into wide strips and rolled into rolls. For longer storage, they can be folded into a jar and tightly closed. But you can eat right away.
Fig and apple pie
Ingredients: for the dough - 300g flour, half a teaspoon of baking soda, 100g sugar, 150g butter and 1 egg, for the filling - 4 apples, 6 fresh fig berries, 50g butter, 2 tbsp. l. Sahara.
To make pie dough, you mix flour, sugar and baking soda. Warm the butter to room temperature, add to the mixture and stir until crumbly. Pour 150 ml and put them in the refrigerator - this will be needed for sprinkling.
Add an egg to the remaining part, knead everything into a ball. Roll a ball out of the lump, wrap it in plastic and put it in the refrigerator for half an hour. While the dough is there, you need to do the filling.
Cut the figs and apples, melt the butter and sugar in a saucepan, then add the fruit to them. Stirring and turning to keep the apples from losing their shape. Remove from heat when the liquid has boiled out about half. Put the resulting filling in a bowl and allow to cool.
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees, put the dough on it in an even layer, make "sides" by distributing the dough along the sides of the baking sheet. Put the filling on the dough, and then take out a cup with crumbs and pour on top. Bake for 45 minutes, eat when cool.
Figs with currant liqueur
Ingredients: 12 fresh figs, blackcurrant juice liqueur, 200g mascarpone cheese.
To make such a cheese, you need to dilute the cream with citric acid, heat it and drain through two layers of a kitchen towel. And you can whip the fatty cottage cheese with cream.
Cut the figs crosswise, but not completely, but only into three quarters. Cut from the side of the stalk. After that, gently squeeze and open the berries, and then put them on plates and sprinkle with liquor.
Mix the mascarpone and some liqueur until the mixture is marbled. Add one spoonful of the mixture to the plates and you can eat.
Fig salad
Ingredients: 100g soft cheese, 4 dried figs, 2 pears, olive oil, buckwheat honey, pistachios and lettuce.
Cut the figs, pears and cheese into small pieces, mix, peel the pistachios and add to the mixture. Make a dressing from butter and honey, put lettuce leaves on plates, and a mixture of fruits and cheese on the leaves. Pour dressing over this mixture.
