Figs are fruits rich in potassium, iron and calcium. They bring many vitamins, in particular Vitamin B6. Figs are often referred to as a particularly caloric fruit. In reality, however, they are more or less average and are less caloric than other sugary fruits, such as tangerines and grapes. 100 g of fresh figs contain, in fact, about 50 calories, against 60 for grapes and about 70 for mandarin.
Fresh figs they contain digestive enzymes that facilitate the assimilation of food and stimulate intestinal peristalsis. They are very rich in fiber and are an excellent source of immediately available energy.
And the dried figs?
Dried figs provide the body with about 250 calories per 100 grams, 5 times that of fresh figs. However, a dried fig every now and then can represent a sweet natural snack and is preferable to desserts, cakes and all those baked goods too rich in refined fats and sugars that often go around our homes.
September is a good month to eat fresh figs, but at the end of the summer, it's not a bad idea to get a small supply of dried figs for the winter.
If you like the idea, try to keep them that way: after having split them and put inside a toasted almond, sprinkle with bitter cocoa and cinnamon and store in a tin box or in a large glass jar with lid.
How to consume fresh figs
Returning to fresh figs, here are some ideas to include them in the diet:
- At breakfast, when we need more energy, perhaps to be paired with a Greek yogurt.
- Before physical activity, for a burst of energy.
- As snack mid-morning or mid-afternoon, also highly recommended for children.
- For the preparation of desserts homemade.
- In salads or appetizers. The taste of figs, in fact, is well suited to many recipes, including savory ones.
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A savory recipe with figs
Figs lend themselves very much to preparation of appetizers. For example, they go well with raw ham or vegetable sliced, as an alternative to melon, and they go well with cheeses. Have you ever tried to combine them with ricotta and pine nuts?
For four people you need: 4 ripe but firm figs, 100 grams of soft goat's ricotta, a handful of pine nuts, a few leaves of fresh mint to decorate.
Wash the figs and split them in the center. Toast the pine nuts and add them to the goat ricotta, work a little with a fork to obtain a creamy consistency and put a nice spoonful in the middle of the figs. Decorate with a few mint leaves and serve.
A sweet recipe with figs
The sweet recipe par excellence to prepare with figs is jam, to be used on bread, for breakfast, or for the preparation of pies.
La pie, however, we can also do it with fresh figs. Just prepare a shortcrust pastry or shortcrust pastry base according to your favorite recipe, add the figs cut into wedges and bake in the oven at 180 ° for 30/35 minutes.
If desired, a very thin layer of fig jam can be added between the base and the fruit.
