Figs - the oldest cultural plant, preferring a subtropical climate. Its fruits are called wine berries. As they mature, they become sweet, juicy, pear-shaped stems, filled with small seeds.
Fresh figs are tasty in a special way, and in dried it becomes even sweeter and gives a feeling of satiety.
So that the berry does not lose its qualities, it is necessary to keep it properly.
How to store fresh figs
Ripe fresh figs are not easy to preserve. It has a thin peel, and the fruit is very tender. Therefore, it is easily fermented and deteriorates rapidly. Transportation does not like figs. For transportation, only immature fruits are used that have not had time to collect sweetness and taste. Such berries before eating should be placed in a sunny place for ripening - for example, put them on the windowsill. But there is no guarantee that they will be soft and juicy.
Ripe fresh figs are available where it grows: in the Caucasus, in the Crimea, on the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar Territory.
If you managed to get somewhere fruit, recently picked from a tree, you should take into account that they cannot be stored at room temperature: it will not be a day before the fermentation processes start.
The best place to store fresh figs is refrigerator, namely fruit compartment. Before you place the fruit there, you need to check the temperature: to keep the fig for a week or two, it should not rise above one degree of heat.
Features storage of dried figs
Dried figs contain four times more protein and sugar than fresh.
For drying choose light fruit. They have golden skin and white flesh. The size of the fig is about five centimeters in diameter. It is considered that small fruits are tastier than large ones.
The shoots are dried in the sun for three or four days. Then they should be expanded into a container and cover with a lid.
Choosing dried figs, you need to consider the following points:
- high-quality fruits have a beautiful amber or dark matte shade;
- white bloom on the surface of figs is glucose, the excess of which protrudes outside. Such fruits are very sweet;
- There should be no dark spots on the fig. Fruits with such a defect cannot be preserved, as they are already slightly tainted;
- good figs are slightly soft to the touch. If it is too hard, it means that the fruit is too dry;
- The fig should be slightly flattened and about the same size.
It does not hurt to remove the sample. Taste quality figs - sweet. If he was sour, it means one of two things:
- figs were improperly stored;
- low-grade raw materials were used for drying, most likely stale.
Quality dried fruits can be stored for several months. Figs prefer low humidity and temperature. In other conditions, it becomes raw and attracts pests. Therefore, the fruit is placed away from sunlight and moisture. So, for the storage of figs choose the room dry and cool. Fruits can be put in canvas bags, load them in glass jars and cover. It is not forbidden to simply lay out figs in containers with lids that fit snugly.
Before use, the fruit should be washed and soaked for twenty minutes in warm water. Then they will become softer, more nourishing and absorbed by the body without problems.
But pour figs with boiling water is not recommended, because then he will lose a significant amount of vitamins.
Figs can be baked, cut into pieces and filled with cream or sour cream, liqueur or lemon juice. Fruits are saturated with sugar and calories, so they will help you quickly overcome fatigue and fill with strength. Very good, if they are always present in the house.
