There are hundreds of varieties of figs that can be eaten fresh or dried. Those most commonly sold in grocery stores are Black Mission, Sierra, Tena, Conadria, and Calimyrna. Although considered a fruit, the fig is actually an inverted flower. The seeds are the real fruit in figs. Native to areas from Asiatic Turkey to northern India, figs have spread to all the countries around the Mediterranean and have been farmed for thousands of years. Ancient Greek Olympians relied on figs as a source of energy during competition.
I tried my very first dried fig back in 2007 while shopping in the open-air central market in Athens, Greece. I immediately loved the texture, flavor and sweetness and upon my return began looking for domestic fig varieties that I could buy in my local grocery store. Black/dark purple Mission figs are known for their sweet flavor and have tinier seeds and thinner skin than other figs. Golden colored figs, such as Conadria and Calimyrna, have a sweet, nutty flavor and a chewier texture. If you didn’t grow up eating figs, it can be challenging to think of ways to serve them. Disclosure: The reviewer received a free sample, but was not compensated by Nutra Fig to write this post. Thoughts and opinions expressed are the reviewer’s own. A few years back, I developed this holiday recipe for fig layer bars and it has become a family favorite. The recipe features Nutra-Fig® Golden California Figs, which are naturally fat free, sodium free, high in fiber and California-grown on a family-owned and operated farm located in the San Joaquin Valley. A serving of about 5 figs (1/4 cup) contains 110 calories, 240 mg potassium and 26g carbohydrate with 5g fiber (more than 20% daily value).
Fig Layer Bars
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 25-30 minutes
Makes: 24 bars
Filling Ingredients 1 (8-ounce)package Nutra Fig dried golden figs, finely chopped ½ cup granulated sugar ½ cup pecans, chopped ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice ½ tsp. orange zest
Crust & Topping Ingredients
¾ cup butter
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups old-fashioned oats
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. COMBINE figs, sugar, pecans, orange juice and orange zest in small saucepan over medium-low heat. COOK 10 minutes or until thickened, STIRRING frequently. SET aside to cool. In a medium bowl CREAM butter and sugar until light and fluffy. ADD salt and vanilla; BEAT to blend. ADD the oats and flour and BEAT until well blended. PRESS about two-thirds flour mixture evenly in the bottom of a lightly greased 9x13-inch metal baking pan. SPREAD filling evenly over the crust. SPRINKLE remaining crumb mixture over top. BAKE 25-30 minutes until golden brown. COOL completely. CUT 4 x 6 to yield 24 bars.
If you decide to give these a try, please share your experience. Comment below, tag me on facebook or tweet using #FoodNewsReviews. For more info, visit: nutrafig.com and for other fig recipe ideas, visit californiafigs.com.
A variation of this blog post first appeared on Nutrition411.com