California Fresh Figs – Delicious Summer Fare Ideas

Yesterday I received an expected delivery of both fresh and dried California Fresh Figs, sent by the California Fig Advisory Board. I was about knocked over when two large cartons arrived as I hadn’t expected the very generous portions and beautiful produce quantity that was sent!      As you can imagine, I quickly and eagerly opened the packages to reveal multiple flats of four different varieties of fresh figs and a couple of 4 pound bags of dried Calimyrna and Black Mission Figs.   There are hundreds of fig varieties, but only about six of those varieties are grown commercially in California.    Neatly and ingeniously packed were the following varieties:

• Black Mission Figs – Purple to black skinned with pink flesh, this variety is noted for an intense earthy flavor.
• Brown Turkey Figs – Robust flavored with light purple to black skins with pink flesh.
• Calimyrna Figs – Noted for its nut-like, sweet flavor and tender, golden skin.  A favored variety for sun drying.
• Sierra Figs – Yellow-Green skin with amber colored flesh.   A newer California hybrid fig variety, thicker skinned resisting splitting during climate changes.

Fig Tid-Bits

• Figs are a fruit, but it’s actually a flower that has somehow inverted into itself!
• Figs contain a natural humectant, a chemical that aids in extending freshness and moisture in baked goods.
• Figs contain omega-3 fatty acids: associated with a healthy heart and brain function, and lutein, which aids vision.
• Nutritionists recommend figs for helping to lower blood cholesterol and blood pressure.
• Figs are one of the highest plant sources of calcium and fiber.¹
• The Mission dried variety are richest in fiber, copper, manganese, magnesium, potassium, calcium and vitamin K.¹

I’m looking forward to trying these different varieties and share some recipes using these figs.     I’ll be doing some appetizers, main dishes and, of course, some desserts and I just may take a stab at jams & preserves!    If you have any suggestions or recipes using fresh or dried figs, please chime in!

I’m having a virtual Fig-Fest party with all my Teenie Cakes’s friends, so if you’re reading this, you’re invited!  :)

During the last weeks before this fig delivery I shared a couple of culinary treats with fresh figs that were describably “delicious”:

	Broiled Pancetta Wrapped Figs with Feta
	Fettucine with Figs, Brown Butter and Hazelnuts