Figs, with their mellow flesh and the crunchy touch of their seeds, are a pleasure for all the senses. Not only that, but they are succulent and provide us with energy, vitamins, minerals and fibre.

 

Thanks to their unique taste and nutritional value, they are unlike any other fruit on the market today. 

 

Today we would like to tell you about their origin and history.

 

 

A bit of history

 

Figs are a delicious and nutritious fruit that have been appreciated by humans for thousands of years. And not only are they delicious, but they also have a long and fascinating history. 

 

The fig tree is believed to have originated in the Middle East or Asia Minor and has been cultivated throughout the Mediterranean region for centuries. Figs have been enjoyed since ancient times and are even mentioned in the Bible. 

 

Scholars believe they were one of the first plants domesticated by man. They reached the Mediterranean region, and consequently the rest of the world, through human migration. 

 

In ancient times, figs were an important source of food for many peoples. They were also used for medicinal purposes to treat various ailments.

 

It has been present in Greece for centuries. There it is known as the "fruit of the philosophers", because it was valued by those who knew how good it tasted!

 

The ancient Egyptians believed that figs were a gift from God and consumed them to maintain good health. 

 

 

The symbolism of figs

 

For centuries, figs have been associated with peace, prosperity and fertility. 

 

In ancient Greece and Rome, figs were an important part of the diet, and the trees were often planted near houses as a symbol of good luck. 

Today, figs still play an important role in some religions. 

 

In Christianity, the fig tree is associated with paradise, and in Islam it is considered a symbol of purity. In Hinduism, the tree is considered sacred, and in Judaism, it is a symbol of abundance. Buddhists also hold the fig tree in high esteem, believing that it was under a fig tree that Buddha attained enlightenment. Whether eaten or simply admired, figs have always been prized for their beauty and symbolism.

 

 

Figs today

Today, figs remain popular and are grown in many parts of the world. The main producers of figs are Turkey, Egypt, Greece, Morocco and Spain. There are more than 700 varieties of fig trees worldwide, and about 300 of them are grown for human consumption. 

 

Figs are a good source of fibre and other nutrients, and can be enjoyed in many different ways. Whether eaten fresh, dried or in a recipe, figs are a delicious and nutritious food.

 

They pair excellently with red meats, poultry, fish and cheeses. They are also an excellent ingredient in all kinds of desserts and cakes. On our blog, you will find many recipes

 

Figs have been around for centuries and are a delicious and nutritious fruit. They are also full of history and can be enjoyed in many different ways. We hope you try them for yourself and let us know what you think on our social networks - thanks for reading!

 

 

fresh salad with dried figs, cured Iberian ham and Parmesan cheese

 

 

Most people think that dried figs, in gastronomy, are only used for baking. When you prepare this delicious salad, you will see why they are so delicious in all kinds of recipes. To make this easy and nutritious dish, you will need few ingredients and little preparation time. Don't miss it because it's delicious.  

 

You will only need dried figs, cured Iberian ham, corn, lettuce varieties and Parmesan cheese (or another cheese of your choice). 

 

You can already find El Pajarero dried figs in several supermarkets, take advantage of them in this delicious fresh salad combining them with seasonal products.  Dried figs, because of their sweetness, are perfect to combine with the other ingredients. The contrasting flavor is perfect. And the sum of them allows to create a delicate texture. Here is the recipe. Take note, you will love the outcome.

 

 

Ingredients

15 dried figs El Pajarero

 

50 gr of Parmesan cheese  

 

Variety of lettuce or lamb's lettuce

 

Corn to taste

 

Olive oil to taste

 

50 gr of Iberian ham

 

Black pepper

 

Salt

 

 

Preparation

Remove the sticks from the dried figs and cut them in half. Set aside. Wash the lettuce (or lamb's lettuce), drain well and once dry, distribute them in a large bowl or plate. It will be the base of the salad.

 

Next, cut the Iberian ham into slices of medium thickness and then chop it with a knife or your fingers. Remember that a freshly sliced ham will always have more flavor than a packaged one. Place it on top of the lettuce or lamb's lettuce. 

 

Continue with the rest of the ingredients. On top of the lettuce and ham, scatter the corn, the amount you prefer. Then cut the Parmesan cheese into small, thin pieces and place it on top of the lettuce, ham and corn, so that it blends with the rest of the ingredients. 

 

Finally, we will crown the salad with the El Pajarero dried figs already cut in halves. 

 

Season with salt, a pinch of black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil to your liking. However, we recommend that you do not season too much, because all the ingredients, by themselves, have an intense flavor.

 

In a few minutes, you will have a luxury salad ready to eat, you just need to taste it! Give yourself a little treat.

 

 

Dried fig and rum cake.

 

Autumn is coming and we don't go out as much as in summer. We feel like cooking and baking for our family and loved ones. Therefore, today we bring you a delicious recipe with dried figs and rum, to surprise your favorite guests in a special way. Below we tell you what you will need for the cake and the filling.

 

For the dough Ingredients

 

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
     
  • 1/3 cup butter
     
  • 1 egg
     
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
     
  • 1/3 of a glass of cold white wine

 

 

Preparation 

In a bowl mix the flour and butter. When they are well combined, add the egg, sugar and wine. If necessary you can help yourself with a spatula or wooden spoon. Then knead lightly to obtain a smooth batter and set aside.

  

For the filling Ingredients 

  • 20 dried figs El Pajarero
     
  • 2/3 cup sugar
     
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/3 cup rum
     
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  

 

Preparation

Place a small saucepan with the water and sugar over medium heat. Meanwhile, cut the figs in half. Then add them to the preparation of water and sugar with the preparation half done. Once they soften, remove them from the heat.

 

To assemble the cake Preparation

 

Roll out the dough and place it in a pie dish. Trim the leftovers from the edge and press the bottom with a fork. Place the fig mixture and bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes at a high temperature (approximately 270 degrees). Serve warm. It's finger licking delicious! :-)

 

delicious lamb, dried fig and sheep milk cheese sandwiches

Photo: agneau sibon

 

These original and tasty sandwiches are a perfect surprise for anyone. The gentle sweetness of the dried figs and the perfumed marinade with olive oil are unbeatable. You have to try them.

 

Preparation time: 10 min

 

Cooking time: 10 min

 

Rest time: 15 min

 

 

Ingredients for 4 people: 

  • 400 g of lamb fillet
     
  • 1 handful of arugula
     
  • 4 sprigs of coriander
     
  • 2 sesame baguettes
     
  • 8 slices of sheep milk cheese
     
  • 8 dried figs El Pajarero

  

 

For the marinade: 

  • 1 teaspoon ginger powder
     
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
     
  • 1/2 lime
     
  • 30 cl olive oil

 

Preparation

1. First prepare the marinade; mix the olive oil with lime zest juice and the spices. Marinate the lamb filets and let them rest for 15 minutes.

 

2. Lightly fry the lamb steaks over high heat and drizzle them with the marinade. Continue cooking for 8 minutes over medium heat on both sides. Let the lamb cool down and slice them thinly.

 

3. Slice the bread and fill it with the arugula, cilantro, sheep milk cheese and diced dried figs Finish the sandwich by adding the lamb meat and enjoy.

 

 

dried figs and magnesium

 

Magnesium is an essential micromineral that plays a crucial part in the basic fundamental structural function in human beings. Since it’s present in bones, its balance becomes basic for an adequate function of our organism.

Furthermore, it also regulates our system, we can find magnesium’s implication in many reactions of energy acquisition inside our cells. This micromineral also contributes to the normal functioning of muscle tissue. 

 

In which part of our bodies is magnesium present?

Magnesium is present in our human bodies, basically in muscle and bone tissue. At the same time, although in small quantities, it is present in our bloodstream and red blood cells. That's why it’s important to assure proper levels of magnesium in our diets.

 

What food should we consume regularly to get adequate levels of magnesium?

To obtain a good level of magnesium, we can find this micromineral in food such as dried figs, avocados, nuts such as almonds, cashews or pistachios, some seeds such as pumpkin, flax or sesame, unsweetened cocoa powder, white corn, snails, oily fish, herbs and spices, fruits such as grapefruit or lemon, dark bitter chocolate and berries, to cite the most obvious examples.

 

It should be noted that its multifunctionality means that it comes to play a more or less prominent role in more than 300 reactions that occur in our body, although we may not be aware of them. Just to name a few examples, you will find magnesium in:

 

  • Muscle contraction
  • Protein synthesis
  • Maintenance of healthy teeth, heart and bones
  • Supporting protein formation
  • Oxygen transport
  • Energy metabolism
  • Immune functions
  • The intervention of the nervous contraction and in the nervous transmission.

It is therefore of vital importance to ingest the foods mentioned previously. Although in most cases, those who are most concerned about maintaining the correct levels of magnesium are athletes, especially runners,we should all be aware of the consumption of food with magnesium.

 

What are the consequences of magnesium deficiency?

 

A large enough magnesium deficiency can cause structural damage to muscle cells, so we can get tired earlier and suffer more fatigue, we can encounter metabolic problems when normal energy is being produced or even, without this micromineral, we could lose the electrolyte balance in our body.

 

Other effects of a lack of magnesium in our body can be irritability, convulsions, decreased appetite or weakened muscles.

 

On the other hand, it is important to know that the use of magnesium is particularly useful for people who do sports, who have a high rate of sweating or who train under intense hot weather conditions. Our body eliminates excess magnesium by itself. 

 

Consuming natural foods such as dried figs (you can find them almost all year round), some nuts, some citrus fruits, avocados (and others mentioned above) can help you get the magnesium levels your body needs. Consult your doctor to know your needs and maintain them properly.

dried figs: benefits for the health

 

 

Dried figs can be enjoyed through the better part of the year, as well as their multiple health benefits. This is due to their exceptionally dense nutritional composition.

 

 

Dried figs vs. fresh figs

While fresh figs are very popular for their juicy and delicious texture, they are a delicate fruit and are only available for a short period of time each year. Fresh figs are only good for 1-2 weeks after being harvested, and are best enjoyed when eaten within a few days.

 

Dried figs, on the other hand, can be savored for much of the year. They have a much longer shelf life than fresh figs. They originate from the Middle East, but are also cultivated in many countries. In fact here in Spain, Extremadura is one of the best areas, and it is precisely where our dried figs El Pajarero come from.  

 

Dried Figs: Nutrition 

Dried figs contain an impressive nutritional range, including high levels of protein, carbohydrates, calcium, vitamin K, potassium, iron and magnesium. In terms of dietary fiber, dried figs have a higher content than any other fruit. Half a cup of dried figs contains almost 200 calories and have barely any fat content. These dried fruits also offer several antioxidants and active ingredients to further improve your health. There are also traces of omega-6 fatty acids, glutamic acid and linoleic acid.

 

Nutritional Information

The following nutritional information corresponds to 100 grams of raw dried figs

 

Nutritional value

Water [g] 30.05

 

Energy [kcal] 249.00

 

Protein [g] 3.30

 

Total lipids (fat) [g] 0.93

 

Carbohydrates, by difference [g] 63.87

 

Fiber, total diet [g] 9.80

 

Sugars, total [g] 47.92

 

Calcium, Ca [mg] 162.00

 

Iron, Fe [mg] 2.03

 

Magnesium, Mg [mg] 68.00

 

Phosphorus, P [mg] 67.00

 

Potassium, K [mg] 680.00

 

Sodium, Na [mg] 10.00

 

Zinc, Zn [mg] 0.55

 

Vitamin C, ascorbic acid, total [mg] 1.20

 

Thiamine [mg] 0.09

 

Riboflavin [mg] 0.08

 

Niacin [mg] 0.62

 

Vitamin B-6 [mg] 0.11

 

Folate, DFE [µg] 9.00

 

Vitamin B-12 [µg] 0,00

 

Vitamin A, RAE [µg] 0,00

 

Vitamin A, IU [IU] 10.00

 

Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) [mg] 0.35

 

Vitamin D (D2 + D3) [µg] 0.00

 

Vitamin D [IU] 0.00

 

Vitamin K (phylloquinone) [µg] 15.60

 

Fatty acids, total saturated [g] 0.14

 

Fatty acids, total monounsaturated [g] 0,16

 

Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated [g] 0.35

 

Cholesterol [mg] 0.00

 

Caffeine [mg] 0.00

 

Source: USDA

 

If you want to know the benefits of dried figs, click here.

dried figs El Pajarero with rice flour

 

At Higos El Pajarero we want to share with you one of the secrets of a healthy diet that allows you to be in optimal shape: the consumption of dried figs. These little delicacies are full of properties, vitamins, minerals and other substances with which you will get a perfect health, so get ready to know them a little more.

 

Properties

The first thing you need to know is the amount of properties that dried figs El Pajarero have. For starters, they are rich in some of the most important minerals for your body. Without going any further, these fruits, when dried, contain large amounts of iron, although this is not their only advantage. On the contrary, calcium and magnesium are also very abundant in figs presented in this way, so they are most suitable to help alleviate many deficiencies in the body.

 

However, this food also contains a good amount of vitamins that you should not lose sight of. For example, various types of vitamin B are found in high concentrations in this dried fruit, which is ideal for your body health.

 

Healthy eating

Taking into account these characteristics, it is easy to guess that dried figs are ideal to be able to eliminate certain pathologies. For example, cases of anemia have in this fruit a powerful all-natural medicine due to the presence of iron and vitamin B.

 

Digestive disorders, especially those with symptoms such as constipation and even heartburn, can also find a solution in the consumption of figs El Pajarero. The reason is none other than the abundant amount of fiber that a regular consumption of this fruit provides, a completely necessary element to enjoy life in a healthy way.

5 ways to include dried figs in your diet

 

Did you know that dried figs have a lot of fiber, calcium, and magnesium? That’s why it's good to eat them everyday. Not only are they a tasty snack, but they offer a good amount of vitamins and minerals.

 

Fresh figs season is about to end, but fortunately dried figs can be found pretty much all year round in a lot of grocery stores. In fact, our own figs, Drie

d Figs El Pajarero, are sold at most grocery stores. :-)

 

Natural and healthy snack

 

Dried figs El Pajarero, are a delicious and healthy snack that anyone and everyone can enjoy anywhere. They are rich in potassium, which helps prevent muscle cramping and low arterial pressure. So in case you do any sports, these will come in handy.

 

Furthermore, dry figs have the same amount of fiber as a serving of oats. So, next time you’re looking for a healthy snack to carry around dried figs won’t disappoint you!

 

Here you have 5 ideas to include them in your diet

 

1) Add dried figs to your oats, to get an extra boost of nutrients.

 

2) Use dried figs instead of raisins for your favorite cookie recipe

 

3) Mix dried figs with nuts and seeds to obtain a healthy snack

 

4) Add chopped dried figs to your salads in order to get a sweet flavor and crunchy texture

 

5) To add some sweetness to your yogurt, add some minced dried figs

 

How do you eat your dried figs? Do you combine them with other ingredients?

 

We hope you enjoyed this post about how to include dried figs in your diet. If you wish to get more information about dried figs and how it affects your health and nutrition here you will find more information. And if what you’re looking for are recipes that include dried figs, you can find plenty here.

 

If there's any other topic related to health and nutrition that you’re interested in, tell us about it: we’ll be delighted to keep uploading content!

 

9 interesting facts about dried figs

 

El Pajarero dried figs, of the calabacita variety, are a delicious and nutritious snack enjoyed by people of all ages. However, there are some facts about dried figs that many people don't know. We bring you nine of the most interesting ones.

 

1) Because of their sweet and mild flavour, dried figs are increasingly used in gastronomy, both in sweet and savoury dishes.

 

2) Currently, the main producers of dried figs are Spain, Turkey, Greece, Egypt and Morocco.

 

3) Out of the 700 varieties of fig trees found worldwide, only 300 are grown for human consumption.

 

4) The nutritional value of dried figs, compared to fresh figs, is tripled due to water loss.

 

5) Excessive salt intake is one of the main causes of high blood pressure and dried figs can help create a balance and prevent it from rising further.

 

6) Due to the amount of natural sugar in dried figs, they can increase energy levels and improve mood. 

 

7) Dried figs go well with many varieties of cheese, mushrooms, spinach, arugula, endive, lamb's lettuce and watercress, chicory, spring onions, garlic, tofu, different types of bread and other nuts and dried fruits.

 

8) Because of their vitamin B6 and vitamin E content, consumption of dried figs can relieve menstrual cramps in women.

 

9) For those days when we know that we are going to be spending a lot of energy, dried figs are a great option due to them being high in calories.

 

We hope that these interesting facts about El Pajarero dried figs and, above all, their consumption, have pleasantly surprised you. They are delicious, nutritious and natural, perfect to eat anywhere. If you want to know more about their properties or how to prepare various recipes with them, check out the other entries in our blog. 

Dried figs and oat cookies

 

You most likely already know about the many properties and benefits of dried figs. They are very rich in vitamin B, C, A and E and many other minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, copper and phosphate just to name a few.

 

Incorporate this splendid food in your daily schedule and soon you will feel its properties.

 

Either if you consume dried figs directly or in sweet or savory meals, the benefits of dry figs are innumerable. Today we want to share with you an authentic and natural recipe that not only you can have with breakfast or as an afternoon snack, but is specially good for children to take to school.

 

You’ll see how with some dry figs El Pajarero and some oats (as well as some other ingredients) you will add natural sweetness, taste and texture to this delicious dry fruit.

 

Ingredients 

  • 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
  • 8 dried figs El Pajarero
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1/2 a teaspoon of kosher salt or sea salt
  • 3 cups of oats
  • 1 cup of butter without salt at room temperature
  • 1/2 a cup of brown sugar

 

How to prepare it

Step 1

In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the oats and put them aside.

 

Step 2 

In a blender, stir the butter and the brown sugar until they become one, approximately for 1 minute. Beat the eggs and vanilla. Add the mixture to the flour until it’s well mixed. Stir the dry figs El Pajarero into the mixture. Let the dough rest for at least an hour or overnight (the dough can also be pre-cooked and frozen for future use)

 

Step 3

Preheat the oven at a high temperature. Cover one or two trays with baking paper. Distribute the dough throughout the trays, about the size of a spoon. Bake for 12 or 14 minutes or until the cookies are slightly golden. Let them cool down for a few minutes.

 

Recommendation: Enjoy them with a cup of tea and/ or vegetal or cow’s milk.

You will love them!

 
Page 1 of 2