Here are some interesting fig facts

This year, California is expected to experience the largest fig crop in recent history. The harvest season, which runs from June 10 until Oct. 15, is expected to yield an abundance of this underrecognized fruit, which will be used in jams, muffins and even Fig Newtons. Here’s some fig trivia to consider:

• For many years, figs have been used in coffee substitutes.

• Figs satisfy a sweet tooth because they contain about 60 percent sugar but contain no cholesterol, fat or sodium.

• Figs provide 20 percent of the daily recommended amount of fiber and have the highest overall mineral content of all common fruits. In a 40-gram serving, there are 244 milligrams of potassium, 53 milligrams of calcium and 1.2 milligrams of iron.

• The white juice that drips out of the fruit when the stalk has been broken off is latex.

•Fig trees have no blossoms on their branches. The blossom is the inside of the fruit, where many tiny flowers produce crunchy little seeds that give figs their unique texture.

More information on figs can be found at www.californiafigs.com.