Wow. Thanks for the information. Never thought of figs this way. Really appreciate your spreadsheet. A ton of information and research. Thank you for sharing
IMO, I find that the Smith fig personifies the berry honey flavor because it has that acid bite to the after-taste and I love it. I think I'm one of those people whose favorite fig is the one I'm getting to eat at the time. The first time I was given an Atreano fig to eat, I about passed out when the flavor burst in my mouth because it just shorted me out with its flavors. And they don't do well where I live because of the larger eye. Still, I have a nice crop on the trees this year and if the heat doesn't do them in, or it doesn't rain too much at the wrong time, I may get to eat some of them. I can always pull them in under the carport, or patio cover, but if the bugs are bad, that will ruin them. It's smart to get trees whose figs are right for your particular climate. I got these on purpose to try to coddle them into doing all right here and they're just starting to mature as trees this season, so we'll see.
When you eat a fig, do you taste it with your whole mouth? Gums, tongue, cheeks and even throat? That may sound strange, but when I was little, I learned to eat figs, tasting them with my whole mouth and the flavor would explode everywhere and even to my very young mouth, It would almost take my breath away and I couldn't get enough figs and I'm thinking those figs were a type of sugar fig and I can still taste figs like that. Any fig I eat which is ripe affects me like that. The figs we have here that people call Turkey figs, which may be Southern BTs still have that effect when I taste them. I do have a serious sweet tooth, but I can OD on those figs.This is a really good video.
Good information, Ross! I wish that this video were released about 3 weeks ago when I was buying a couple of fig trees. I ended up buying Vern's Brown Turkey and Lattarulla. Had I seen this video, I would have bought Violette de Bordeaux and Desert King.
Great video. It’s so nice to hear from someone who eats their figs rather than just takes pictures of them. Two suggestions: 1. I might suggest the fig Pete’s Honey and Golden Riverside as two of my best Honey flavored figs. 2. You might footnote *(smyrna) after the fig trees that need special pollination to produce figs, like Zidi, so people outside of California won’t be rushing to grow them and be disappointed when they don’t produce.
That's an excellent suggestion, Mara Maas. I once bought a fig tree from the Boston area and it was supposed to be a White Triana, but in reality, it was a Dessert King, which was breba only here and in many other places in the country, so I pruned it not knowing it was really a DK and had no figs for three years. After that, I got a crop of breba figs which were three, but they were delicious. I didn't have the room for a breba fig only and if I would have known what the fig really was/what type it was, I wouldn't have gotten it. The nurseryman who sold it to me told me it was definitely a White Triana and swore to it on his life, but I've never seen DKs have alternative name of White Triana. I couldn't even give the tree away, so I sent it to be recycled and lost the money. The disappointment was the worst, though.
Great analysis. My figs certainly differ from yours in no small part due to my heat hours. Case in point, my conadria is strawberry jam in color and berry/honey.
Great info as always. Are there any leading Texas growers to follow on ourfigs? I heard you mention one with a greenhouse strategy. I’m in central texas (Austin, zone 8b). Thanks in advance.
Hi Ross, You were talking about the verdal type of fig but can only find the D`orio verdal or the Verdal Siciliana. Would any of the two I just mentioned be the Verdal you mentioned that would also be the figione or veldino di noir ? thank you ! Mark
Ross, I usually put my fig plant pots on my cement driveway. Some people say not to because will dry faster? They say keep them on mulch in the yard. Others say put a few wood strips under the pots if you keep them on the cement drive. What are your thoughts on this ? Thanks, Mark
Awesome, thank you. Its soo difficult to get good info on taste for almost all plants. Your categorization helps. Now I want to get me some arid land and plant all figs :-) I saw in your other videos that you have most of your figs in pots. Do you have any in the ground? Sorry, I did not check all your videos (yet) but which one would you recommend for planting out in a cold wet climate? I guess not Brown Turkey? (since the taste is boreing) Maybe Desert King?
I have 5 in ground here. And this spring I'm adding another 8ish (including a hardy pomegranate called Salavatski). Florea, Malta Black, Hardy Chicago, RdB are all amazing choices.
Ross.....I recently bought an Olympian fig...I don't see it on your chart probably because it is fairly new. Do you have any idea what flavor category it might fall into? Thanks!
I'm surprised that you get 40" of precipitation @ year. We're lucky to get 8" @ year, and most of that is in the winter months. Dry and hot summers are generally the rule here. On the west side of the Cascade mountains where Seattle is located, it's a much different story. They're known for all the rain they get yearly.
I will say one more thing and I hope you won't take this personally. Two more things: 1-I noticed that you have on your chart that the Hunt fig is listed as LSU Hunt. I only know of one kind of Hunt fig and it's just Hunt. They did have Hunt trees at LSU, but that variety wasn't originated there. Did you get your tree from LSU, or did you think it was actually named LSU Hunt? There is enough confusion about fig varieties that I am asking about this to keep things straight. In the past few years, I have become aware that there is another variety of fig that is being called LSU Brandy fig and as far as I know-there is no such fig because I know the person who named an already named fig, Brandy, and now, someone seems to have tacked the LSU onto it, as if there isn't enough confusion. When I saw the name LSU Hunt, it reminded me about the Brandy.
Where can I get a copy of your chart?
Always in the description man!
Wow. Thanks for the information. Never thought of figs this way. Really appreciate your spreadsheet. A ton of information and research. Thank you for sharing
IMO, I find that the Smith fig personifies the berry honey flavor because it has that acid bite to the after-taste and I love it. I think I'm one of those people whose favorite fig is the one I'm getting to eat at the time. The first time I was given an Atreano fig to eat, I about passed out when the flavor burst in my mouth because it just shorted me out with its flavors. And they don't do well where I live because of the larger eye. Still, I have a nice crop on the trees this year and if the heat doesn't do them in, or it doesn't rain too much at the wrong time, I may get to eat some of them. I can always pull them in under the carport, or patio cover, but if the bugs are bad, that will ruin them. It's smart to get trees whose figs are right for your particular climate. I got these on purpose to try to coddle them into doing all right here and they're just starting to mature as trees this season, so we'll see.
Smith fits that category perfectly. I agree.
When you eat a fig, do you taste it with your whole mouth? Gums, tongue, cheeks and even throat? That may sound strange, but when I was little, I learned to eat figs, tasting them with my whole mouth and the flavor would explode everywhere and even to my very young mouth, It would almost take my breath away and I couldn't get enough figs and I'm thinking those figs were a type of sugar fig and I can still taste figs like that. Any fig I eat which is ripe affects me like that. The figs we have here that people call Turkey figs, which may be Southern BTs still have that effect when I taste them. I do have a serious sweet tooth, but I can OD on those figs.This is a really good video.
Thanks, I needed this as I am building my acres of figs!
really good video. i started breaking down my fig collection by flavor profile last year. your work here will help me in my venture.
Good information, Ross! I wish that this video were released about 3 weeks ago when I was buying a couple of fig trees. I ended up buying Vern's Brown Turkey and Lattarulla. Had I seen this video, I would have bought Violette de Bordeaux and Desert King.
Great video. It’s so nice to hear from someone who eats their figs rather than just takes pictures of them. Two suggestions:
1. I might suggest the fig Pete’s Honey and Golden Riverside as two of my best Honey flavored figs.
2. You might footnote *(smyrna) after the fig trees that need special pollination to produce figs, like Zidi, so people outside of California won’t be rushing to grow them and be disappointed when they don’t produce.
That's an excellent suggestion, Mara Maas. I once bought a fig tree from the Boston area and it was supposed to be a White Triana, but in reality, it was a Dessert King, which was breba only here and in many other places in the country, so I pruned it not knowing it was really a DK and had no figs for three years. After that, I got a crop of breba figs which were three, but they were delicious. I didn't have the room for a breba fig only and if I would have known what the fig really was/what type it was, I wouldn't have gotten it. The nurseryman who sold it to me told me it was definitely a White Triana and swore to it on his life, but I've never seen DKs have alternative name of White Triana. I couldn't even give the tree away, so I sent it to be recycled and lost the money. The disappointment was the worst, though.
fascinating. we eat our figs once they fall off of the tree. we dont know what type it is but they are delicious. thanks for sharing.
Thanks Ross. Very informative!
Lovely video well werth watching.
Great video!
Great analysis. My figs certainly differ from yours in no small part due to my heat hours. Case in point, my conadria is strawberry jam in color and berry/honey.
It's berry/honey here too! Colors will definitely change though. What other differences did you see, Justin?
Great info as always. Are there any leading Texas growers to follow on ourfigs? I heard you mention one with a greenhouse strategy. I’m in central texas (Austin, zone 8b). Thanks in advance.
thanks for the chart Ross
You got it.
Hi Ross, You were talking about the verdal type of fig but can only find the D`orio verdal or the Verdal Siciliana. Would any of the two I just mentioned be the Verdal you mentioned that would also be the figione or veldino di noir ? thank you ! Mark
Ross, I usually put my fig plant pots on my cement driveway. Some people say not to because will dry faster? They say keep them on mulch in the yard. Others say put a few wood strips under the pots if you keep them on the cement drive. What are your thoughts on this ? Thanks, Mark
Awesome, thank you. Its soo difficult to get good info on taste for almost all plants. Your categorization helps. Now I want to get me some arid land and plant all figs :-) I saw in your other videos that you have most of your figs in pots. Do you have any in the ground? Sorry, I did not check all your videos (yet) but which one would you recommend for planting out in a cold wet climate? I guess not Brown Turkey? (since the taste is boreing) Maybe Desert King?
I have 5 in ground here. And this spring I'm adding another 8ish (including a hardy pomegranate called Salavatski). Florea, Malta Black, Hardy Chicago, RdB are all amazing choices.
Ross.....I recently bought an Olympian fig...I don't see it on your chart probably because it is fairly new. Do you have any idea what flavor category it might fall into?
Thanks!
Olympian is an English Brown Turkey, which is under tropical. They have a minor peachy flavor to them.
Thanks!
I'm surprised that you get 40" of precipitation @ year. We're lucky to get 8" @ year, and most of that is in the winter months. Dry and hot summers are generally the rule here. On the west side of the Cascade mountains where Seattle is located, it's a much different story. They're known for all the rain they get yearly.
7:30 water vapor is the number one greenhouse gas... so, um...
I will say one more thing and I hope you won't take this personally. Two more things: 1-I noticed that you have on your chart that the Hunt fig is listed as LSU Hunt. I only know of one kind of Hunt fig and it's just Hunt. They did have Hunt trees at LSU, but that variety wasn't originated there. Did you get your tree from LSU, or did you think it was actually named LSU Hunt? There is enough confusion about fig varieties that I am asking about this to keep things straight. In the past few years, I have become aware that there is another variety of fig that is being called LSU Brandy fig and as far as I know-there is no such fig because I know the person who named an already named fig, Brandy, and now, someone seems to have tacked the LSU onto it, as if there isn't enough confusion. When I saw the name LSU Hunt, it reminded me about the Brandy.
You're correct. Edited the name in my spreadsheet. Thank you.
What variety is the sweetest fig sir?