Dried figs: benefits and harms for women and men, how to dry them

The benefits and harms of dried figs have been of interest to humanity since ancient times. The fruit of the fig tree has healing properties. Unfortunately, fresh fruits do not last long, so the store most often sells them in the form of dried fruits. You can dry figs at home, the main thing is to do it correctly.

What does dried fig look like?

When choosing dried figs, you need to know what high-quality fruits are:

Dried fruits should be light beige without shine, without dark spots. Dried figs should not be black inside. Sometimes there may be a coating of sugar.
The dried fig tree has a flattened shape and the same size.
The fruits should be soft to the touch.
The taste should taste sweet and have a slight crunch. The presence of salt or acid in the fruit, or a musty taste, indicate that they are spoiled. To taste the berries, you need to wash them, otherwise you can get an infection.

You should know that dried figs smell very strongly of iodine. This specific aroma in fresh fruits is almost imperceptible due to the large amount of juice.

What vitamins are in dried figs?

Dried berries contain a whole bunch of different vitamins that have a positive effect on the human immune system. The benefits of dried fruits in slowing down the aging process.

In addition to vitamins, fruits are rich in minerals, thanks to which you can normalize metabolism and strengthen the skeleton:

iron and potassium;
zinc and selenium;
copper and phosphorus;
sodium, magnesium and calcium.

Dried figs contain:

phytosterol;
glyceric acid;
pectins and coarse fiber;
fatty acid;
proteins and fats;
sugar and carbohydrates.

Beneficial properties of dried figs

Doctors advise consuming the product due to the beneficial properties of dried figs for the human body.

The advantages are that dried figs have a beneficial effect on the human digestion, nervous and muscular system. It is useful to use the product during the season of viral diseases, cough and bronchitis. Fig berries are able to relieve fever, as they have antipyretic properties.

Under what circumstances do doctors recommend dried figs:

Colds. Figs are boiled in milk and drunk for coughs and to reduce fever.
Constipation and gastritis. The presence of a large amount of fiber has a beneficial effect on intestinal function.Eating dried fruits ensures timely stool, as it has a laxative effect. In addition, a few fruits eaten will help quickly relieve stomach pain due to gastritis.
With high mental load. Microelements and vitamins restore the body's performance and reduce the risk of stress and depression.
Effect on the liver and kidneys. Thanks to the enzymes contained in dried figs, toxic substances are naturally removed from the body. Another health benefit of dried figs is that they contain a lot of minerals, so the body quickly recovers from poisoning.
The cardiovascular system. Figs contain potassium, which is necessary for heart function.
Eating dried fruits allows you to quickly heal wounds, since the fruits have a high pectin content.
Rutin, which is part of the berries, promotes the effective absorption of ascorbic acid.
Eating dried fruits helps lower blood pressure.
The presence of ficin reduces blood clotting, which is very important for many people.
Dried figs have long been taken for hangovers, as, according to some narcologists, they have the quality of an aphrodisiac.

Attention! Dried figs are not a medicine. But taking dried fruits simultaneously with medications has a beneficial effect on the body.

What are the benefits of dried figs for women?

The fruits of the fig tree are of particular benefit to women. Dried figs contain large amounts of folic acid. That is why gynecologists recommend consuming fruits when a woman plans to become pregnant. Folic acid preserves the placenta.

Dried fruits are no less useful during menstruation, as they relieve pain. In addition, it is recommended to consume figs for women engaged in mental work to activate brain activity and improve their mood.

The minerals contained in the fruits help protect hair, skin and nails from adverse external influences, which is why figs are used in the creation of many cosmetic products.

What are the benefits of dried figs during pregnancy?

As stated earlier, dried figs contain folic acid necessary for the proper development of a child, so the berry is simply necessary in the diet.

It is especially important, according to women's experts, to include fig tree fruits in the diet in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. Eating the fruits facilitates contractions, childbirth is quick and easy, even for those women who are giving birth to their first child.

What are the benefits of dried figs for men?

Dried fig tree fruits are no less useful for the stronger sex. Their use has a positive effect on potency and helps in the treatment of prostatitis and other diseases of the male reproductive system.

Additionally, dried figs:

improves men's reproductive health;
improves blood circulation;
reduces the level of bad cholesterol;
Helps burn fat deposits in the abdominal area.

What is good for children

We can talk for a long time about the benefits and harms of dried figs for women, but we must not forget about children. Pediatricians have a special attitude towards figs, since they contain a huge amount of vitamins and microelements that have a beneficial effect on the growing body.

For a child under one year of age, 1 dried fruit is enough per day, which is given in small portions 2-3 times.It's all about fast carbohydrates, which can harm the child's health.

Comment! For children under one year old (more specifically, from 9 months), if possible, it is better to give fresh ripe berries. You must first consult with your pediatrician.

But dried fruits can also be given to children, because they:

Save children from constipation. To do this, the fruits are crushed and given to children as a laxative. If the desired effect is not observed after a certain time, medications are taken.
Having dried figs on hand, you can prepare delicious desserts by replacing sugar and sweets that are harmful to children’s teeth. You can bake delicious rolls, cakes, pies, and casseroles with dried fruits.
If there are problems with appetite, then decoctions are prepared as a tonic. They also help treat coughs and colds.

Dried figs for breastfeeding

After the birth of a child, many women review their diet and eat only healthy foods. After all, babies receive all the substances necessary for development through mother’s milk.

If some foods have to be removed from the diet, then dried figs are very necessary for nursing mothers. Moreover, it should become mandatory for use every day.

Attention! If, after the birth of a child, a woman consumes fig fruits for the first time, then she needs to monitor her condition and the child’s: whether there is any rejection of the product or an allergic reaction.

Dried figs for weight loss

The beneficial properties of dried berries are highly valued by nutritionists. Those women who dream of losing extra pounds are recommended to introduce these dried fruits into their diet. The fact is that fruits are high-calorie foods.But thanks to them you can quickly get enough (it is enough to eat 2-3 fruits). The main thing is that the dried fruits are of high quality.

The fruits do not have to be eaten just like that; they can be added to salads, yogurt, and cottage cheese. Figs can be included in your diet no more than 3 times per week.

Important! A large amount of dried fruits per day can cause diarrhea, you need to remember this.

How to dry figs at home

Many people like fresh fig tree fruits, but preserving them at home is not so easy - their shelf life is very low. If you managed to purchase juicy figs, then you need to process them as quickly as possible: cook compote, preserves, jam.

For the winter, the fruits can be dried to serve to your household. For drying, you can use an electric dryer, oven, or dry the fruits in the open air. But before that they need to be prepared.

For dessert choose ripe figs:

After washing, cut off the damaged areas.
After this, to obtain dessert, the figs are placed in boiling syrup prepared from 3 tbsp. water and 1 tbsp. Sahara.
Cook for no more than 7-10 minutes. Stir the contents carefully so as not to damage the integrity of the fruit.
Then place the figs in a colander to drain the water. Only after these procedures is the product ready for drying at home.

Advice! The syrup remaining after cooking the berries does not need to be poured out. It is advisable to evaporate it until it becomes thick and store it in the refrigerator. Use as a sweet addition to tea.

Figs in an electric dryer

Modern household appliances greatly facilitate the work of housewives. Using an electric dryer allows you to get juicy and golden dried figs.

The nuances of preparing the delicacy:

After blanching, the fruits are dried and cut into 2 halves if necessary (although they can be dried whole). Place on a towel to remove water.
After this, the pieces are laid out on a tray.
Small fruits are dried for no more than 10 hours. The larger ones last a little longer.

Attention! Using an electric dryer allows you to preserve all the beneficial and taste properties of the berries.

In the oven

To dry fig tree fruits at home, many housewives use the oven.

Drying stages:

After appropriate preparation and blanching, the figs are dried with towels and cut into 2 parts.
Then place the pieces on a sheet with holes for ventilation or on a wire rack.
Then they are sent to an oven preheated to 60 degrees (this is an important indicator, otherwise the fruits will simply burn!). The door must be kept ajar so that the fruits do not overcook and dry out.
From time to time the halves are turned over. Drying usually takes up to 8-9 hours.

When drying a healthy and tasty delicacy in the oven, you need to remove the fruits in time. The finished product will be leathery and dense. If you cut a piece, it will exude juice.

After cooling, dried figs are placed in containers and stored in the refrigerator. There it can lie for up to 24 months.

How are dried figs processed?

When buying dried figs in a store, you should understand that for better storage they are specially processed in one of the following ways:

sulfur dioxide;
smoked using liquid smoke;
For boiling, use a caustic soda solution;
for drying - gasoline burners;
the fruits are treated with glycerin to give the finished product a marketable appearance.

All these products are unsafe for humans.

Do I need to wash dried figs?

Dried fruits purchased in a store must be soaked in cold water, changing it several times. First, pour in the figs for half an hour, then for another 15 minutes. After this, wash each fruit separately, removing dirt and sand with your hands.

How to eat dried figs

You can eat no more than 5-6 fruits per day, but only if there are no problems with the intestines. If you have diseases, you need to use 1-2 pcs.

Most often it is recommended to eat figs without additives, although there are healthy recipes for various dishes. Fig tree fruits are combined with unsalted porridge and meat products. Fried meat will become healthy and less calorie if you eat it with dried figs.

What to cook from dried figs

Dried figs are widely used in cooking:

Roast lamb or veal. Pieces of meat are fried with garlic or onions. When the dish is almost ready, you need to add chopped figs.
Healthy salad. The washed dried fruits are cut into pieces, parsley, dill or other favorite herbs are added. Olive oil is used as a dressing.
Casserole. Dried figs should be cut into slices and placed on a sheet. Grind the cottage cheese with herbs and brush the fruits. Bake in the oven until golden brown.
Grilled figs. 60 g of cottage cheese are mixed with a small amount of rosemary and 1 tbsp. l. honey The fruits are cut into 2 parts, filled with filling and placed on the grill. The healthy delicacy will be ready in 7 minutes.
Figs in saffron milk. 1 tbsp. l. saffron must be infused overnight in milk. In the morning, stuff 9 pieces of figs. This portion is enough for 3 days. Store the delicacy in the refrigerator.

And now the recipe for dried fig compote. Add 5-7 dried fruits to a liter of water and boil for several minutes.The compote will retain all the beneficial vitamins and properties of the berries.

Sweets lovers can prepare the following desserts:

Candies. Combine washed figs with any dried fruits and grind in a meat grinder. Add honey and ground nuts. Roll the resulting mass into balls and dry them.
Jam. Take 1 kg of dried fig berries and add the same amount of granulated sugar. Add 2 tbsp. l. water. From the moment of boiling, cook for 5 minutes. When the mixture has cooled, pour into jars.

Use in folk medicine

The beneficial properties of the fig tree have been known since ancient times. Back then they didn’t even know about medicine; all ailments were treated using traditional methods. There are many recipes for using dried figs to reduce fever, increase tone and as an expectorant.

Cough for children:

Boil 1 tbsp. milk, add 4-5 figs.
Leave for a third of an hour covered.

Take 4 times a day, ¼ tbsp. until the child gets better.

At high temperature:

100 g of dried fruits are poured with boiling water (2 tbsp.), Cook for 15 minutes.
After infusion for 2 hours, the liquid is filtered off.

Take half a glass 3 times before meals.

Contraindications

Despite its beneficial properties, the product is not suitable for everyone, as it contains a large amount of sugars.

Diseases for which dried fig berries are contraindicated:

Diabetes.
Gout. Since the product is saturated with oxalic acid.
Problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Fiber can cause inflammation.
It is not recommended to consume dried figs before or during travel due to the laxative effect.

Calorie content of dried figs

It’s not for nothing that fig trees are recommended to be included in the diet. These berries are very good for health.They contain a huge amount of essential substances. The energy value of 100 g of dried figs is 978.6 kJ.

How many calories are in dried figs in 1 pc.

Since it is most often recommended to use the product individually, you need to know the calorie content of one fig. On average 1 piece. contains about 50-60 kcal.

How many calories are in 100 grams

100 g of product contains about 300 kcal. Therefore, for weight loss, it is recommended to consume no more than 4-6 fig berries.

How to store dried figs at home

To store dried figs, it is necessary to create optimal conditions: temperature - from 0 to 10 degrees and a dry place. A large number of fruits can be placed in a hermetically sealed glass jar. But many housewives advise storing a small portion of dried fruits in a linen bag, hanging it in a cool, dry place.

Important! Insects often breed in fabric containers, so figs are stored in them, which can be eaten within 30-35 days.

The beneficial properties of dried fig berries last up to 2 years if the conditions are met. But it is advisable to eat the fruits within 6-8 months. From time to time the contents are inspected and ventilated.

Conclusion

The benefits and harms of dried figs have been proven for centuries. It is easy to obtain the finished product at home. You just need to take ripe berries and follow the recommendations. Since fresh fruits do not last long, you can provide your family with a healthy and tasty dessert by receiving dried fruits.

Step-by-step recipe for drying figs at home in the open air: