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This is John Kohler with okraw.com. I have another exciting episode for you here in my
backyard next to one of my favorite fruit trees that I have and it's right here. This
is my fig tree, and these are actually some cododa figs, the green style figs. I love
green style figs probably better than the black ones and the brown ones and whatnot,
but today we're going to talk about figs. I'm going to answer one simple question on
why do figs burn your mouth if you eat too many or sometimes if you just eat one or 2,
and to find out let's do a close-up on the tree itself to show you guys what happens
when pick an unripe fig and why that burning sensation occurs. There it is. There is a
fig on here and this is not yet ripe. How do you know if a figs rip eon the tree? Well,
number one it's going to be soft. So, if you feel this is going to be soft, this is actually
still hard. Another thing is the color's going to change. So, the color will look more appetizing
to the eyes. Right now it's a dark green. When these are ripe, they're going to be almost
like a light green color and actually quite soft. The other that happens on many fig trees
is that when it's ripe, this little stem right here, I don't know if you can see that little
stem right there, it gets limber, and actually the fig droops down and is hanging. So, those
are some indicators of a ripe fig. Now, when you don't have a ripe fig and you pick it
what happens is this. I'm going to go ahead and pick that for you guys so you can see.
Break it off and look at that. See that stuff? It's literally oozing some white sap. You
see that? It's dripping off right about now. There it is. The white sap juice. So, this
is actually called like a fig latex and the reason why your mouth burns when you eat figs
is due to this latex. Inside that latex there is actually a protolivic enzyme. This protolivic
enzyme that's in the latex of the fig is actually called phison. So, phison is a protolithic
enzyme. What's a protolithic enzyme for those of you guys that aren't PhD and whatnot? Protolivic
basically means it breaks down protein. You may be familiar with pineapples containing
bomoline and papaya containing papain, which are also enzymes. Well, the fig has the protolithic
enzyme because the enzyme is there in the fig tree so that predators can't eat the figs,
especially when they're unripe. So, the protolithic enzymes have been known to literally digest
worms. So, if worms are up on the tree trying to get in the fig and eat all the fig out
and the fruit, right? The worms are going to digest themselves from this protolithic
enzyme. That being said, how can you get away from this protolithic enzyme when you're eating
figs, 'cause we don't want to break down and when you're tongue burns it's not because
of the mini hairs or, you know, any jagged sharp points on the fig. It's actually because
of this enzyme that's actually breaking down the proteins on your tongue. This may also
happen to you when you're eating pineapples and, you know, just like pineapples and with
figs, when the fruit is not fully mature and not fully ripe, there's more of that protolithic
enzyme. As a fruit ripens, the enzyme totally decreases. So, the best way and easiest way
to be able to eat figs without it burning your mouth is get truly ripe ones, and I know
what you guys are thinking. 'John, I went to my supermarket and I bought figs and they
are ripe, right? They'd only sell you ripe ones at the store.' Wrong answer. If in the
store they picked them as ripe as you need to eat them, you know, they'd expire in probably
like hours because some of these ones that I get off the tree are like jelly and if they
sit on the tree one more day, they're not going to be good anymore. So, in commerce
and in trade, they need to pick the figs, you know, a little but hard so that they'll,
you know, stay fresh in shipping so that the farmer won't lose his investment in his figs.
I mean, that's, after all, his profit and that's why he's doing it, right? So, the best
way is to actually go out to the fig tree and harvest only the ripest figs as you possibly
can to avoid this protolithic enzyme. Next I want to share with you actually a real good
use of this latex and the phison in there actually. If you have warts or corns, it is
said that if you put this little, you know, white stuff from an unripe on your wart or
corn, you know, it'll actually break down the proteins of the wart or the corn and make
it go away. So, I don't know. That's an old wives tale, but you might want to try it.
It's a simple and easy and natural, you know, figs that may work or it may not. When you
are picking figs and if it drips a whole bunch of this white latex stuff, your fig was not
totally ripe. So, that's an indicator of ripeness. So, when you pick a ripe fig, it shouldn't
have any of this latex stuff come off. I always encourage you guys to eat the ripest fruits
as possible because there's going to be more nutrition, it's going to taste better, and
also you're not going to get any mouth burn. The final way that I'll share with you guys
how to minimize the mouth burn if you do have to buy your figs at the store is I got a black
mission fig here. Actually this was purchased at the store, and what you're going to want
to do to minimize your mouth burn when eating figs, especially if you want to eat a lot
of them is you're going to break that in half and you can see inside the fig there and what
you're going to do is actually take a knife or a spoon and spoon out the inside jelly
part and that's the part you're going to eat and you're going to discard the skin and the
white area right below the skin, and that's where most the phison or latex is contained.
So, if you just eat the middles you're going to pretty much have minimal contact of that
protolithic enzyme that's going to cause the hurting and breaking down of your proteins
on your tongue. Another thing I want to mention is if you do get that white stuff on your
skin, it may get irritating, you know. It may cause you to itch and scratch and the
best way is just to wash it down with some and water and get it off your skin or just
be careful not to get it on your skin in the first place. The other thing I recommend you
do always when you're eating figs is ever eat this little stem and there's probably
a lot of that latex and the phison in the little stem. So, generally I'll just break
this part off and I'll, you know, compost that and eat and enjoy my phison-free figs.
That's a good one. So, I hope this video answered once and for all why your mouth burns after
you're eating figs. Number one, get riper figs. Grow them yourself and pick them at
the truly ripeness instead of buying them at the store, when they're never fully ripe,
or scoop out the middles to avoid the burn. So, hopefully you guys enjoyed this episode.
Once again, my name is John Kohler with okraw.com. We'll see you next time and remember; keep
eating your fresh fruits and vegetables. They're the best.