Fascinating Fig Facts

When you enjoy Blue Ribbon Orchard Choice Figs or Sun-Maid Figs, you help yourself to a taste of health. Whether you savor flavorful figs as a snack or in your favorite recipes, figs are always rich in complex carbohydrates, a good source of dietary fiber and a wealth of essential minerals such as potassium, iron and calcium.

It may surprise you to know that when you eat a half-cup of
figs you get as much calcium as when you drink a half-cup of milk. Figs
are deliciously portable, so they are readily available as calcium-rich
snacks at home, at work, at play or on the road. Needed for strong bones and teeth, calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body, but one that often is lacking in diets. Growing teens and women have especially high needs for calcium.

Figs - No Fat and High in Nutrients
Because they have no fat, saturated fat, cholesterol or sodium, figs help you meet today’s Dietary Guidelines established by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture. Health organizations recommend a diet low in fat, high in vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber to help lower the risk of heart disease and some types of cancer.

Figs’ full flavor and chewy texture make them a tasty, nutritious addition
to your healthful diet. Use the Nutrition Facts label to discover all the nutrition packed into a serving of figs. If you eat more than the 1 1⁄2
ounce serving of figs described on the Blue Ribbon Orchard Choice or
Sun-Maid package label, adjust your nutrient intake upward.

Total carbohydrate and sugars are listed on the nutrition label. Carbohydrate, the body’s preferred energy source, comes mainly from plant foods: fruits such as figs, grains, and vegetables. The USDA’s Food Guide Pyramid recommends these complex carbohydrates for the basis
of healthful diets. Two to four servings daily of fruit are recommended. Sugars refer to the natural fruit sugars in figs that give figs their sweetness.

Dietary fiber, found only in plant foods, aids digestion, and may help reduce the risk of some types of cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute’s 5 a Day for Better Health program. Most Americans fail to get even half of the recommended 25 to 30 grams daily. Figs are a good source of dietary fiber - about 5 grams a serving.

Tips on Storing and Handling Figs

• Use a sharp knife or a pair of scissors to cut up figs. Run the knife under hot water when it gets sticky.
• Sometimes the natural sugars in figs come to the surface and form crystals. If you want to remove the sugar crystals:
  1. Place 1/2 cup figs in a microwave-safe dish.
  2. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon water.
  3. Cover loosely and microwave on high for one minute.
• Store figs in refrigerator after opening.
• While figs are available year-round, they also can be kept in the freezer for up to one year.

Fascinating Facts About Figs

• Fig trees have no blossoms on their branches. The blossom is inside of the fruit! Many tiny flowers produce the crunchy little 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. E-mail us for details.
• California grows many varieties of figs, but the two most common are the golden, slightly nutty-flavored Calimyrna and the dark, sweet Mission.