"A Fruit with No Blossoms"
If you had ever seen a fig tree, you might not able to find any "blossoms" on the tree. Then where are the blossoms go? In Eastern countries, people usually called fig fruit "a fruit with no blossoms". For the fig tree, the fruit is the blossom as an inverted flower. While the other flowers all open outwards, the fig flowers open inwards, wrapping up the stamens. In botany, this type of inflorescence borne by figs called "Syconium", which means that the flower grows inside the fruit.
97% of the fig fruit is edible.
Normally, the edible part of fruits we see in the market is their pulp. Although the seed or peel of some fruits is edible, there are very few fruits that can be eaten whole like figs. With high edible portion, low acid content, and no hard seeds, figs are suitable for the elderly and children to eat. Before eating or cooking fresh figs, rinse them quickly under running water and cut off the tough tip of the stem. It is not necessary to peel them: the peel is edible.
The Sweetest Variety of Fig: Black Mission Fig
Origin from Spain via the West Indies and Mexico, the black mission fig is the most popular variety planted in California. Figs are an incredibly versatile fruit that can be used in both sweet and savory dishes, fresh, dried, or preserved. With deep blue-purple skin, rose-red flesh, the black mission fig is the sweetest variety of figs. According to Black Mission Figs Nutrition, these large figs are renowned for their powerful aroma, luscious honey flavor, and nutrition, relatively rich in carbs, vitamins, and minerals (5.1%/cal) as a good source of iron and calcium.
Ripe figs are extremely perishable and should be eaten soon after being purchased. For refrigeration, they can keep in the refrigerator for five to seven days, but keep a close eye out for mold. If you find a moldy fig, discard it and use the rest of the batch immediately. If you want to store fresh figs for longer, dry them! Dried figs can be stored airtight at room temperature for one month or in the refrigerator for up to a year.
How to Dry Figs?
As a tasty and healthy treat, dried black mission figs provide a high amount of fiber and are a good source of manganese, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, vitamins K and C, and calcium. In addition, it is also a good source of powerful antioxidants the body needs to function at its best.
Sun-Dried
Take dried whole figs, rinse gently and pat with a clean cloth to dry them
Place them in the sun to dry, taking care to collect them at night
Place them in a pot of boiling water, quickly blanch them
Drain and dry with a cloth
Expose in the sun once again until they become dry and weathered
In the Oven
Preheat the oven to 20 °C/ 68 °F
Place the whole figs on a baking tray
Place in the oven for about 12 hours until the figs are dry and leathery
Leave the oven door open a little throughout to allow for some ventilation. Do not allow the figs to cook
Remove the figs and cool completely
Seal in a bag or container
The Fig Leaves
In addition to the fruit, fig leaves are also edible and used in many cuisines. Available during summer, fig leaves are large, broad, and flat, averaging 12-25 cm in length and 10-18 cm in width. The bright, vibrant green leaf has 3-5 lobes with thick veins and a prominent stem. Fig leaves are highly fragrant and crushing the leaves will release scents of coconut, peat, vanilla, and green walnut.
With high nutrition value, fig leaves are a good source of vitamin A, B1, and B2. They also contain calcium, iron, phosphorus, manganese, sodium, and potassium. People use fig fruit for conditions such as constipation and diarrhea. The leaf is used for conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and skin conditions.
Fig leaves are best suited for cooked applications such as steaming, baking, or grilling. They are commonly used as a wrap and are steamed with meats, seafood, and vegetables to impart a smoky, fruity flavor and a distinct coconut aroma. In addition, Fig leaves can be used to make a syrup for glazing meats, to flavor cocktails, to create a jelly, baked goods, and blended fig leaves can be steeped in a cream base to create ice cream. Dried Fig leaves can also be boiled and used for making tea. Fig leaves pair well with cream, coconut milk, scallions, rice, fish sauce, apricots, red chile peppers, basil, red curry paste, pepitas, tofu, chicken, and fish. Fig leaves are highly perishable and will keep 1-2 days when stored fresh in the refrigerator.
Although fig leaves will not cause damage to the human body, the leaves contain a sap that can be very irritating to dogs, either on the skin or when ingested. If you own a dog, please be careful that the fig plant contains a toxic, sap-like substance known as ficin, which is toxic when consumed or when it comes into contact with the skin, eyes, or mouth of dogs.