Figs fruit

Picking up a basket of Fresh figs have a sweet, honeyed fragrance and soft, jammy texture, which make them a lovely snack on their own, yet it’s quite easy to While fresh figs are irresistible eaten raw, they take quite well to being caramelized on the stovetop, being baked, and even grilled. Here are 12 fig recipes and ideas to make the most of the season.

• Fig trees have no blossoms on their branches. The blossom is inside of the fruit! Many tiny flowers produce the crunchy little edible seeds that give figs their unique texture. • Figs are harvested according to nature’s clock, fully ripened and partially dried on the tree. • Figs naturally help hold in moisture in baked goods, keeping them fresher. • Fig puree can be used to replace fat in baked goods. • California grows many varieties of figs, but the two most common are the amber-colored, slightly nutty-flavored Golden and the dark purple, sweet Mission. • California produces 100% of the nation’s dried figs and 98% of the fresh figs. • The Spaniards introduced Mission Figs to the California territory in the early 16th century. • The priests at Mission San Diego originally planted figs in California in 1769. This is how the dark purple fig became known as “Mission.” • Many believe it was figs that were actually the fruit in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, not apples. • The early Olympic athletes used figs as a training food. Figs were also presented as laurels to the winners, becoming the first Olympic “medal.” • In Roman times figs were considered to be restorative. They were believed to increase the strength of young people, to maintain the elderly in better health and to make them look younger with fewer wrinkles. –Pliny (52-113 AD). • Figs made their first commercial product appearance with the 1892 introduction of Fig Newtons® cookies. • The fig tree is a sym...

The fig is often referred to as a fruit, though it's actually a group of tiny flowers growing inside an edible shell. Most of the world's figs are grown in Greece, Portugal, Turkey, Spain, and California. Best in autumn, figs are intensely sweet, so they're used in desserts, though they work in savory dishes and are eaten whole as well. Fresh fig season is short, but dried figs are available year-round. What Are Figs? The edible fig is technically a syconium (a mass of inverted flowers) of the common fig tree ( Ficus carica, of the mulberry family). Each flower contains a seed and they're covered by an edible pear-shaped pod, which is often thought of as the fig "fruit." The color depends on the variety, including white, green, red, and purplish-black. Figs have been cultivated for centuries, originating in the Middle East. Cultivation has spread to hot, dry climates throughout the world and today Greece, Portugal, Turkey, and Spain produce the most. For the U.S. market, an overwhelming majority of dried and fresh figs are grown in California from self-pollinating cultivars. Texas also produces figs. Traditionally, figs were used as the sweetener for desserts prior to sugar. They can be eaten whole, baked, fried, grilled, or roasted. Dried figs are common because the fruit is so delicate and does not store well. Due to their short season and fragile nature, fresh figs are expensive but canned, dried, and frozen figs are considerably more affordable. How to Cook With Figs T...

The Spruce / Molly Watson This pretty appetizer never gets old, as it has many variations. Start with tossed figs in olive oil and balsamic, and place on top of warm crusty baguette. Add goat's cheese, ricotta salata, mascarpone, or brie to make a small open sandwich. Crumble blue cheese on top of the figs and add sliced almonds. Or place the seasoned figs on a warm piece of naan bread, add Camembert, bake for 10 minutes, and top with arugula and olive oil. No matter which way you choose to serve it, this Getty Images Panna cotta translates as "cooked cream," but this take on the recipe skips the stove and oven altogether, bringing you a quicker and colder version of the Italian classic. Yogurt, goat's cheese, cream, and sugar are mixed to make the "panna" base, which is then refrigerated until firm. Figs cooked in sugar, honey, salt, and water are then placed on top. Garnish with some chopped mint for color and toasted seeds, pine nuts, or walnuts for crunch. Fig Newton lovers are sure to flip for these sweet, moist, buttery homemade cookies. Bake up a couple of dozen and enjoy with your afternoon coffee or add to your kids' lunch boxes (sneak in a little nutrition). You can use either fresh or dried figs. These cookies are as easy to make as your favorite chocolate chip cookie but a bit healthier. Fill the cookie jar with Find more ideas to put your sweet figs to good use: • Halve or quarter figs lengthwise and serve with small dollops of mascarpone, crème fraîche, Greek...

There are few things in the world as special as a fresh fig. They have an incredibly soft, jammy texture and an ultra-sweet flavor that’s hard to beat. Not only that, but there’s no one set way for how to eat figs. Enjoy them raw, No matter how you enjoy them, you’ll want to do it fast. The season is incredibly short! You can find them during an early summer season, or pick up a few during the main crop that runs from late summer to early fall. You can enjoy dried figs the rest of the year, but they taste better fresh if you know to eat them! How to Eat Figs The best way to enjoy figs is raw, with the skin and seeds intact. You can also remove the peels and scoop out the seeds, if you like, or cook figs by baking, broiling or grilling them. But, the quickest and easiest way to enjoy these gems is by removing the stem and taking a bite right out of the raw fig. Can you eat fig skin? Fig skin is edible, although some people don’t like the texture. You’ll find that early season figs have thin, delicate peels while late season fig skins are thicker and more robust. If eating the peels isn’t your thing, feel free to remove the skin with a vegetable peeler. Otherwise, just twist off the stem and eat the fig, skin and all! Can you eat figs raw? Fresh figs are usually enjoyed raw. In fact, they taste best when plucked straight off the tree, still warm from the sun’s rays. Of course, that requires access to a fig tree. We’re often loathe to cook figs, as they have a pure sweetness ...