I love figs, in fact I crave them. So this time of summer, when fresh figs
are abudantly available, is heaven to me. They're expensive at the co-op,
but the farmer's market and one fruit stand have beautiful, plump, juicy
unsprayed figs much cheaper.
I began to wonder why I craved figs so much, so I looked them up on the
net. About halfway through the below article I laughed out loud. They're
high in lignins! Oh how perfect.
They're also good for constipation, and have digestive enzymes.
Here's a little more about figs. Hope you enjoy it ... and them!
Angel
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"Figs are restorative. The best food that can be taken by those who are
brought low by long sickness and are on the way to recovery. They increase
the strength of young people, preserve the elderly in better health and
make them look younger with fewer wrinkles," wrote Pliny, a Roman historian
(62-113 A.D.).
Of the common fruits, figs have the highest sugar content as well as a
notable amount of protein and abundant calcium, magnesium phosphorus and
potassium.
Figs are a good source of the indigestible food fiber lignin. Cells whose
walls are highly lignified retain water and since they are impossible to
digest, help bulk up the stool. Figs also contain ficin, a protein-breaking
enzyme similar to papain in papayas and bromelin in fresh pineapple. Ficin
also has some laxative effects. Together lignin and ficin make figs an
efficient laxative food.
When buying figs look for plump soft fresh figs with skin that is green,
brown or purple, depending on the variety. As figs ripen, the pectin in
their cell walls dissolves and the figs grow softer to the touch. Avoid
fresh figs that smell sour. The odor indicates that the sugars in the fig
have fermented and the fruit is spoiled. Wash fresh figs under cool water
then refrigerate ( I don't refrigerate them ... I eat them too fast.)
