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

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

What dried figs look like

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

Dried fruits should be light beige with no shine, no dark spots. Dried figs should not be black on the inside. Sometimes there may be a bloom of sugar.
The dried fig tree has a flattened shape, the same size.
The fruit should be soft to the touch.
The taste should be sweet, a little crunch. The presence of salt or acid in the fruits, a musty aftertaste indicate that they are spoiled. To taste the berries, you need to wash them, otherwise you can pick up an infection.

You should be aware 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, the fruits are rich in minerals, thanks to which you can normalize metabolism, 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.

Useful properties of dried figs

Doctors advise using 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 digestion, nervous and muscular system of a person. It is useful to use the product during the season of viral diseases, with coughs and bronchitis. Fig berries are able to remove the temperature, as they have antipyretic properties.

Under what circumstances do doctors recommend dried figs:

Colds. Figs are boiled in milk, drunk when coughing and to lower the temperature.
Constipation and gastritis. The presence of a large amount of fiber has a beneficial effect on bowel function. The consumption of dried fruits ensures timely stool, as it has a laxative effect. In addition, eating a few fruits will help quickly relieve stomach pain from gastritis.
With high mental stress. Trace elements and vitamins restore the body's performance, reduce the risk of stress and depression.
Effects on the liver and kidneys. Thanks to the enzymes included in the composition of dried figs, toxic substances are naturally removed from the body.The health benefits of dried figs are also that it contains a lot of minerals, so the body quickly recovers from poisoning.
The cardiovascular system. Figs contain potassium, which is essential for heart function.
The use of dried fruits allows you to quickly heal wounds, since the fruits are high in pectin.
Rutin, which is part of the berries, promotes the effective assimilation of ascorbic acid.
Eating dried fruit 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 a hangover syndrome, since, according to some narcologists, it has the quality of an aphrodisiac.

Attention! Dried fig is not a drug. But taking dried fruits along with medications has a beneficial effect on the body.

Why dried figs are useful for women

The fig tree fruit is of particular benefit to women. Dried figs contain a lot of folic acid. That is why gynecologists recommend eating the fruit 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 in order to activate the activity of the brain and improve mood.

The minerals contained in fruits help protect hair, skin and nails from adverse external influences, therefore figs are used in the creation of many cosmetics.

Why Dried Figs Are Good During Pregnancy

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

It is especially important, according to female experts, to include fig fruits in the diet in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. Eating the fruit makes labor easier, labor is quick and easy, even for women who have their first child.

Why dried figs are useful for men

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

In addition, dried figs:

improves the reproductive health of men;
improves blood circulation;
reduces the level of bad cholesterol;
helps burn fat in the abdomen.

What is useful for children

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

A day for a child under one year of age, 1 dried fruit is enough, which is given in small portions 2-3 times. It's all about fast carbohydrates that can harm a 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 a 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 babies as a laxative. If the desired effect is not observed after a certain time, medications are taken.
Having dried figs in stock, you can prepare delicious desserts, replacing them with sugar and sweets that are harmful to children's teeth. You can bake delicious rolls, cakes, pies, casseroles with dried fruits.
If there are problems with appetite, then decoctions are prepared as a tonic. They also help to treat coughs, colds.

Dried figs while breastfeeding

After the birth of a child, many women revise their diet, consume only healthy foods.After all, babies receive all the substances necessary for development with 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 it is necessary to observe her condition and the child: there is no rejection of the product and an allergic reaction.

Dried figs for weight loss

The beneficial properties of dried berries are highly appreciated by nutritionists. Those women who dream of losing extra pounds are recommended to introduce these dried fruits into their diet. The fact is that the 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, cottage cheese. In a week, fig can be included in the diet no more than 3 times.

Important! A large number of dried fruits per day can cause diarrhea, this must be borne in mind.

How to dry figs at home

Many people like the fresh fruits of the fig tree, but keeping them at home is not so easy - keeping quality is very low. If you managed to get a juicy fig, then you need to process it as quickly as possible: cook compote, jam, jam.

For the winter, the fruits can be dried to treat household members. 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.

Ripe figs are chosen for dessert:

After washing, the damage sites are cut off.
After that, to get a dessert, the figs are laid out in a boiling syrup made from 3 tbsp. water and 1 tbsp. Sahara.
Cook for no more than 7-10 minutes. Stir the contents gently so as not to damage the integrity of the fruit.
Then put the figs in a colander to glass the water. Only after these procedures is the product ready for home drying.

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

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 cooking a delicacy:

After blanching, the fruits are dried and cut, if necessary, into 2 halves (although you can dry them whole). Spread out on a towel to remove water.
After that, the pieces are laid out on a pallet.
Small fruits are dried for no more than 10 hours. The larger ones take a little longer.

Attention! The use of an electric dryer allows you to preserve all the useful and taste properties in the berries.

In the oven

Many housewives use an oven to dry fig tree fruits at home.

Drying steps:

After proper preparation and blanching, the figs are dried with towels and cut into 2 pieces.
Then spread the pieces on a sheet with holes for ventilation or on a wire rack.
Then they are sent to a 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 fruit does not get too fried or 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, remove the fruits in time. The finished product will become leathery and firm. If a piece is cut, then it will exude juice.

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

How dried figs are processed

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

sulfur dioxide;
smoked with liquid smoke;
for boiling, use a solution of caustic soda;
for drying - gasoline burners;
the fruits are processed with glycerin to give the finished product a presentation.

All these funds are unsafe for humans.

Do I need to wash dried figs

Store-bought dried fruits must be soaked in cold water, changing it several times. First, pour the figs for half an hour, then for another 15 minutes. After that, each fruit is washed separately, brushing off dirt and sand with your hands.

How to eat dried figs correctly

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

The most common recommendation is to eat figs without additives, although there are healthy recipes for various dishes. Fig fruits are combined with unsalted porridge and meat products. Fried meat will become healthy and less nutritious if eaten with dried figs.

What to cook from dried figs

Dried figs are widely used in cooking:

Roasted lamb or veal... Pieces of meat are fried with garlic or onions. When the dish is almost ready, you need to add the chopped figs.
Healthy salad... Washed dried fruits are cut into pieces, parsley, dill or other favorite greens are added. Olive oil is used as a dressing.
Casserole... Dried figs need to be cut into slices, laid on a sheet. Grind cottage cheese with herbs and grease the fruits. Bake in the oven until golden brown.
Grilled figs... 60 g of cottage cheese is mixed with a small amount of rosemary and 1 tbsp. l. honey. The fruits are cut into 2 pieces, filled with filling and placed on the grill. A 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 fig slices. This portion will last 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, boil for several minutes. All useful vitamins and properties of berries will be preserved in the compote.

Sweets lovers can prepare the following desserts:

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

Use in traditional medicine

The beneficial properties of the fig tree have been known since ancient times. Then they did not even know about medicine, all ailments were treated with folk 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 fig berries.
Insist for a third of an hour under the lid.

Take 4 times a day for ¼ tbsp. until the child recovers.

At high temperatures:

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

Take half a cup 3 times before meals.

Contraindications

Despite the beneficial properties, the product is not shown to everyone, as it contains a large amount of sugars.

Diseases in 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 and during travel due to the laxative effect.

Calorie content of dried figs

It is not for nothing that the fig tree is advised to be included in the diet. These berries are very healthy. 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 pc. 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 folded into a hermetically sealed glass jar. But many housewives advise keeping a small portion of dried fruit in a linen bag, hanging it in a cool dry place.

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

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

Conclusion

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

Step-by-step recipe for drying figs at home outdoors:

Dried figs: benefits and harms to the body