Fruits
Fig in gelato
Fig (Ficus carica) is a soft, low-acid stone-less fruit whose solids are almost entirely glucose and fructose, giving fig gelato and sorbetto a jammy sweetness and a naturally high anti-freezing power for its sugar load.
Balancing parameters
Per 100 g of product, verified against independent food-science sources (listed below).
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Solids | 20% |
| Water | 80% |
| Sugars | 14% |
| Fat | 0% |
| MSNF | 0% |
| Protein | 1% |
| POD (sweetening power) | 17 |
| PAC (anti-freezing power) | 27 |
Typical use: 25-40% of the mix as fresh/ripe fig puree in sorbetto; 15-25% when used as a flavoring puree or ripple in a dairy gelato base.
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Open the balancerHow to use it in gelato
Fig is used as a fresh or ripe puree in sorbetto and as a swirl or base flavor in fruit gelato. Because its sugars are ~1:1 glucose and fructose with almost no sucrose, fig delivers a high PAC (~27) relative to its sugar content, softening texture and lowering the serving temperature more than an equal weight of sucrose would. Its fructose fraction also lifts perceived sweetness (POD ~17). Balance by trimming added dextrose/inverted sugar to avoid an over-soft, gummy body, and lean on a small stabilizer dose since fig purees are low in structuring solids. Ripe fruit pushes both sugar and PAC higher, so taste and adjust.
Origin & background
The fig is one of humanity's oldest cultivated fruits: subfossil figs excavated at Gilgal I in the Jordan Valley have been radiocarbon-dated to roughly 11,400 years ago, leading researchers (Kislev et al., Science, 2006) to argue that fig cultivation predated the domestication of cereals such as wheat and barley.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central, Figs, raw (FDC ID 173021): https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/173021/nutrients
- Aprifel / French CIQUAL national food table, Fresh fig nutritional sheet: https://www.aprifel.com/en/nutritional-sheet/fig/
- NutritionValue.org (USDA Standard Reference mirror), Figs, raw: https://www.nutritionvalue.org/Figs%2C_raw_nutritional_value.html