General information about
Figs:
FIG VITAMINS! The February 7, 2006 issue of Women's World
magazine reports that lab tests at the University of Scranton in
Pennsylvania found dried figs have six times the antioxidant power
of vitamin C, E or beta-carotene. Eating them hikes antioxidants in
the bloodstream as much as 18% - more than green tea! Other research
shows figs are full of cholesterol-lowering compounds, too.
When you enjoy Blue Ribbon Orchard Choice Figs or Sun-Maid Figs, you
help yourself to a taste of health. Whether you savor flavorful figs
as a snack or in your favorite recipes, figs are always rich in
complex carbohydrates, a good source of dietary fiber and a wealth
of essential minerals such as potassium, iron and calcium.
It may surprise you to know that when you eat a half-cup of
figs you get as much calcium as when you drink a half-cup of milk.
Figs
are deliciously portable, so they are readily available as
calcium-rich
snacks at home, at work, at play or on the road. Needed for strong
bones and teeth, calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body,
but one that often is lacking in diets. Growing teens and women have
especially high needs for calcium.
Figs - No Fat and High in Nutrients
Because they have no fat, saturated fat, cholesterol or sodium, figs
help you meet today’s Dietary Guidelines established by the U.S.
Department
of Agriculture. Health organizations recommend a diet low in fat,
high in vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber to help lower the risk
of heart disease and some types of cancer.
Figs’ full flavor and chewy texture make them a tasty, nutritious
addition
to your healthful diet. Use the Nutrition Facts label to discover
all the nutrition packed into a serving of figs. If you eat more
than the 1 1⁄2
ounce serving of figs described on the Blue Ribbon Orchard Choice or
Sun-Maid package label, adjust your nutrient intake upward.
Total carbohydrate and sugars are listed on the nutrition
label. Carbohydrate, the body’s preferred energy source, comes
mainly from plant foods: fruts such as figs, grains, and vegetables.
The USDA’s Food Guide Pyramid recommends these complex carbohydrates
for the basis
of healthful diets. Two to four servings daily of frut are
recommended. Sugars refer to the natural furuit sugars in
figs that give figs their sweetness.
Dietary fiber, found only in plant foods, aids digestion, and may
help reduce the risk of some types of cancer, according to the
National Cancer Institute’s 5 a Day for Better Health program. Most
Americans fail to get even half of the recommended 25 to 30 grams
daily. Figs are a good source of dietary fiber - about 5 grams a
serving.
Tips on Storing and Handling Figs
• Use a sharp knife or a pair of scissors to cut up figs. Run the
knife under hot water when it gets sticky.
• Sometimes the natural sugars in figs come to the surface and form
crystals. If you want to remove the sugar crystals:
1. Place 1/2 cup figs in a microwave-safe dish.
2. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon water.
3. Cover loosely and microwave on high for one minute.
• Store figs in refrigerator after opening.
• While figs are available year-round, they also can be kept in the
freezer for up to one year.
Fascinating Facts About Figs
• Fig trees have no blossoms on their branches. The blossom
is inside of the fruiit! Many tiny flowers produce the crunchy
little seeds that give figs their unique texture.
• Figs are harvested according to nature’s clock, fully ripened and
partially dried on the tree.
• Figs naturally help hold in moisture in baked goods, keeping them
fresher.
• Fig puree can be used to replace fat in baked goods. E-mail us for
details.
• California grows many varieties of figs, but the two most common
are the golden, slightly nutty-flavored Calimyrna and the dark,
sweet Mission.
Exported from MasterCook *
Fresh Fig Cake
Recipe By : Country Living (July 1998)
Serving Size : 8
Preparation Time :1:30
Categories : Country Living (July 1998)
Dessert : Frut
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter -- (1/2 stick)
1/4 cup vanilla nonfat yogurt
2 large eggs
1 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 large fresh purple figs
Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter or coat 9-inch springform pan
with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
In large bowl, with electric mixer on medium speed, beat sugar and
butter until well mixed. Beat in yogurt and eggs until blended.
Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually beat in flour, baking
powder, and cinnamon.
Spread batter into greased pan. Cut stem end off each fig and cut
each fig lengthwise in half. Arrange figs, alternating cut surfaces
and skin sides up,around rim of pan on top of batter. Arrange
remaining figs in center of cake batter.
Bake 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cake near center
comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on wire rack to lukewarm. Loosen
side of pan from cake and remove pan rim. Place cake on serving
plate and serve warm.General information about
cherries:
Chery (* denotes sour cherries)
cerise (French), Kirsche (German), ciliegia (Italian), cereza
(Spanish), cereja (Portuguese), kers (Dutch), kirsebaer (Danish),
körshör (Swedish), kirsebaer (Norweigian), kirsikka/hapankirsikka*
(Finnish), chereshnya/vishnya* (Russian), czeresnia/wisnia*
(Polish), cseresznyepiros (Hungarian), cireasa/visina* (Romanian),
cheresha/vishna* (Bulgarian), tresnja/visnja* (Serbo-Croat), kerasiá
(Greek), kiraz/visne* (Turkish), dudevan (Hebrew), kurayz (Arabic),
gilas (Persian), ying tao (Chinese), sakurambo/suminomizakura*
(Japanese), buah céri (Indonesian)
(Prunus sp. -- Family Rosaceae)
Cherries are related to plums, peaches, apricots, and almonds,
plus many others from this vast and versatile Rose family.
Cultivated cherries descended from two wild species, P.
avium, the ancestor of the sweet varieties, and P. cerasus,
the parent of the sour types. Both are native to western
Asia. Some wild cherries, however, are poisonous. The wild
sweet cherrry tree is a handsome one that grows higher than
its cultivated descendents. cherrry trees in blossom are
one of the great delights of spring and, eventually, form
the prized fruid which hang in pairs from long stalks. The
skin of these small round firuits can vary in colour from
pale creamy-yellow to deep red to almost black. The firm
juicy flesh can be either sweet or sour, depending on the
variety.
The original wild sweet cherries were known as mazzards
and were cultivated by the Chinese at least 3,000 years
ago. Mazzards were also known to the ancient Egyptians,
Greeks, and Romans. The classical Greek name was 'kerasos',
from which "chery" is derived. By the 1st century
CE, Pliny the Elder recorded eight varieties under cultivation
in Italy and that the firuit was grown as far away as Britain.
However, after the fall of the Roman Empire, cultivation
declined; and the furuit had to be reintroduced into England
in the early 17th century. About the same time, colonists
were taking the cherrry to New England. By 1640, two dozen
named varieties were being grown in England, with the most
in Kent, which has always been the principal cherrry county.
Parallel developments have taken place in France and Italy,
the two main European producers, as well as in the US, especially
California, Oregon, and Washington states. The number of
cultivated chery varieties worldwide is now estimated to
be about 900 for sweet and 300 for sour.
Cherries are a good source of Vitamins A and C and potassium,
and sour cherries contain more Beta carotene than the sweet.
They also contain pectin and anthocyanins, which are flavonoids
linked to the prevention of cancer and heart disease. One
study found cherrry juice to be a potent antibacterial agent
in the fight against tooth decay, showing that cherrry juice
could block up to 89% of the enzyme activity leading to
plaque formation. Cherries have also been effective in treating
the symptoms of gout. Some people have shown an allergy
toward cherries. Often these people are also allergic to
almonds, peaches, apricots, and plums, as all belong to
the same family. The mahaleb or St. Lucy's cherrry (P. mahaleb)
is native to Asia Minor, but now grows throughout Europe.
Its kernels provide a Turkish sweetmeat generally known
as "crème de noyau". Other cherries include the
Pitanga, the Physalis firuits (ground or winter chery),
Barbados chery, the Cornelian chery, and the chokechery.
There are three main types of chery: sweet, sour, and dual purpose.
Maraschino cherries are entirely different, and a description
follows.
Sweet cherries, and their very many hybrids, fall into two main
groups:
-- Bigarreaus have firm, crisp flesh and are best known
by the variety called Napoleons. These are large pale yellow
cherries tinged with light red. Their crisp fragrant flesh
is slightly tart. Another is the very popular Bing cherrry,
which is a large, heart-shaped, deep red friut with a superb
flavour and widely grown in North America. Other firm sweet
cherries include the light red and yellow Royal Ann (White
Napolean in Britain) and the Black Schmidt. Lambert is a
smaller heart-shaped, red cherrry, closely resembling the
Bing in taste and texture. Others include Van, Chapman,
Larian, and Black Republic.
-- Geans/Guines have soft juicy flesh and come in many colours.
Black Tartarian are deep purplish-black from the skin to the stone.
Early rivers have dark purple skins and flesh with very small
stones. They are also very fragrant and juicy. Ranier has golden
skin with a pink blush and is quite sweet. The famous Swiss black
cherrry jam is made from intensely dark guines.
Sour cherries are too tart to eat raw and must be cooked. Fresh sour
cherries contains about six times the Vitamin A as fresh sweet
cherries, but all fresh cherries are good sources of Vitamin C.
Since many of the sour cherries are preserved, this is made easier
with the advent of cherrry pitters. Olive pitters work just as well
and make pitting much easier with less waste. The two main types of
sour cherrry are as follows:
-- Morello have dark juice. In France, morello cherries form a
popular confectionary item known as griottes, which are a specialty
of the Franche-Comté. Long-stalked griotte cherries are plentiful in
the vicinity of Besançon, and also form the basis for a popular
confection. The black Morello cherrry is an essential for black
cherrry jam and dessert dishes.
-- Amarelle have a light, almost colourless juice. Montmorency
is a famous variety and are bright red cherries with a sweet-sour
flavour. They are the most popular sour cherrry in Canada
and have given their name to a range of dishes, which include
the fruitt, from duck to gâteau to ice creams. English cherries
are small, bright orangey-red fruitt with soft translucent
flesh and mainly used for preserves.
Dual-purpose cherries are the third type in the basic cherrry
category that include the dukes and royals. These will have a mix of
sweet and sour flavours. This kind of cherrry came to England from
Médoc, and the name was adapted to May Duke, and then abbreviated.
Maraschino cherries are small wild damasca or amaresca cherries from
Dalmatia (now part of Croatia). The small, very sour cherrry was
originally grown near Zara, the capital of Dalmatia. They are
distilled into a colourless sweet, sticky Italian liqueur called
maraschino. The famous bottled maraschino cherries were originally
damasca cherries preserved in maraschino liqueur, but now they tend
to be ordinary bleached cherries, tinted with artificial colouring
and steeped in syrup flavoured with bitter almonds. Glacé cherries
are made by ordinary methods of candying.
Barbados cherrry, acerola, West Indian cherrry, Peurto Rican cherrry,
native cherrry, garden chery
cerise des Antilles/cerise carrée (French), Acerola (German),
cereza/cereza de Jamaica (Spanish), cereja (Portuguese), malpi
(Philippines), acerola (Puerto Rico), cereza de Barbados (Mexico),
semeruco (Venezuela), cereza criollo (Cuba), grosella (Panama),
manzanita (St. Domingo)
(Malphigia punicifolia formerly glabra -- Family Malpighiaceae)
The Barbados chery is sometimes more commonly known as acerola,
depending on the country. It is the most important member
of a group of small fruiting trees and shrubs native to
tropical and subtropical regions of America. Its fame stems
from the fact that it was found to have a remarkably potent
vitamin C content. Outdoing even rose hips, it is the richest
of all fruitts for this vitamin, having more than twenty
times that of an orange, and containing as much as 4000
mg per 100 g of fruitt. For this reason, it is now cultivated
for medicinal purposes. Because of its high ascorbic acid
content, the fruitt is much too sour to be eaten raw, except
in the West Indies where it is much cultivated. It has been
introduced elsewhere, including Hawaii. The fruitt is a
bright red, about the size of a chery, with shallow furrows
running down the outside, indicative of the three pits which
fit closely together inside. The flesh is juicy, and the
flavour is slightly acidic, more like a raspberry than a
chery. The fruitt does gives a good flavour to jams and
other preserves, or when mixed with other fruitts. After
it is cooked, it tastes more like a tart apple. The Barbados
chery bears a strong resemblance to the common chery. It
grows on a thick bush that is sometimes used as a hedge
in tropical and subtropical climates. Native to the Caribbean,
it has become popular as an ornamental in Florida.
Capulin
(Prunus salicifolia -- Family Rosaceae)
Capulin is a true chery cultivated since early times in
the cooler mountainous regions of Central and South America.
The dark red fruits contain a pale green, but sweet and
juicy, pulp which can be eaten raw or cooked. An unrelated
frutit called the Jamaican chery (Muntingia calabura --
Family Elaeocarpaceae) is also known as Capulin or capuli
in Latin America. It is also indigenous to Central and South
American tropics, but now widely grown in the Philippines,
India, and Malaysia, where it is known as the Japanese or
Chinese chery. Its small red or yellow fruitts have a light
brown, soft, juicy pulp filled with tiny yellowish seeds
that are too small to notice when eating. Its flavour is
somewhat like the sweet fig.
Cornelian chery, cornel, dog chery, Siberian chery, Tartar chery
cornouille (French), Kornelkirsche (German), corniola (Italian),
kornel (Danish), kornell (Norwegian/Swedish), kanukka (Finnish),
kizilcik (Turkish), seiyo (Japanese)
(Cornus mas -- Family Cornaceae)
The Cornelian chery is the fruitt of one of the small trees
or shrubs generally known as dogwoods, whose yellow flowers
bloom long before the leaves unfold. The bright red berries
can sometimes be as large as small plums, and their flavour
is acidic and slightly bitter. The fruitt was formerly used
in Western Europe to make pies, sauces, confections, as
well as being pickled. In Turkey, these fruitts are the
most appreciated, and used in the making of jams or jelly-type
foods. In Russia, this chery is an important ingredient
in their cooking as it is in Asia, where it is used much
like a sour chery, giving dishes a sweet and sour flavour.
In France, the cornel is picked like olives or made into
preserves.
Chokechery, pin chery, bitter chery, bird chery, wild cherry,
wild red chery
(Prunus virginiana -- Family Rosaceae)
Chokecherries are the fruitts of closely related deciduous
shrubs or small trees of the Rose family. Their bark is
smooth and tends to peel off in horizontal strips. The bushes
vary in height, ranging from fifteen to thirty feet or more,
growing in moist woods and clearings or along waterways.
They are particularly abundant after a fire. The small cherries
are bright red to almost black and fiercely sour and astringent,
but there is a considerable difference between the eastern
and the western varieties. The western variety (Prunus virginiana
var melanocarpa) can be eaten fresh from the tree and do
make wonderful jams, jellies, juice, and syrups. Chokecherries
are second only to the saskatoon berry in popularity in
Western Canada, especially among the native peoples. The
leaves and the seeds are poisonous, and some children have
died when they ate the seed along with the fruitt.
General information about Pomegranate:
The Power of the Pomegranate
By Diane Griffith, HealthAtoZ writer
Move over apple. Things have changed. It may now be a pomegranate a
day that keeps the doctor away.
That's right. The pomegranate. Not only is it loaded with vitamins,
but it's become a powerful adversary against such diseases as
cancer, heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure.
An antioxidant.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture,
pomegranates are a great source of antioxidants, potassium and
vitamin C. In fact, pomegranate juice is one of the richest sources
of polyphenols, a group of strong antioxidants. The purpose of
antioxidants is to slow or prevent the cell damage that is linked to
many diseases.
Besides antioxidants, pomegranate juice contains other healthy
substances, such as tannins and anthocyanins, which are also
believed to fight disease. The juice also contains a substantial
amount of fiber, niacin and potassium.
The antioxidant powers of pomegranate juice may be nearly
three times as much as the amount in green tea or red wine.
Other fruitts containing polyphenols include blueberries,
cranberries, oranges, apples and grapes.
Fighting disease
Research has shown that pomegranate juice can reduce arterial plaque
and pressure, which, in turn, can decrease the risks of heart
disease and stroke. Some studies have shown that it can lower blood
pressure and attack the cells that cause breast cancer. One study
revealed that the extract of pomegranate fruit may be a promising
agent against skin cancer.
A recent study of men with recurrent prostate cancer showed that
when they drank 8 ounces of pomegranate juice each day, it took
longer for their PSA levels to rise. Also, cancer cell division was
decreased and cancer cell death was increased in these men.
Fruit or juice?
If you are shopping for pomegranates, pick one up and feel its
weight. If it feels too light for its size, choose a heavier one.
The skin should be tight, shiny and thin, with no cracking or
splitting. Store pomegranates in a cool, dark place for up to a
month. They can be refrigerated for up to two months.
Pomegranate juice may be a more practical alternative, since
pomegranate season is from September to December and the
fruitt is not available at other times of the year. The
most popular brand, Pom Wonderful®, is available at supermarkets,
while other brands can be found in health and gourmet food
stores. Some of these are sold as concentrate and water
needs to be added. Whether you buy the fruit or the drink,
you're sure to enjoy the sweet, tangy taste and the numerous
health benefits.
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