Bass’ Favorite Fig … yummmmmm
BFF is a pretty fig. I’m not sure yet how good it tastes. This one wasn’t quit ripe enough.
I was really impressed with Exquisito. Usually the big figs give up some on taste. Not this one.
Funny those were the two choices I was going to write about! Lots of juicy flesh with seeds. Looks like the figs are being chosen for a Dutch Masters painting!
Fruitnut,
I wish I could like more than once.
How about ranking taste-wise from your most favorite on down, please? Love to hear your opinion.
Figs like everything else are difficult to rate for taste. I don’t have enough experience with many to really rate them. The top ones right now are Black Madeira, Preto, Bourjasotte Grise, Socorro Black, Maltese Beauty, I-258, Battaglia Green, and Strawberry Verte. I expect Craven’s Craving to be about like Black Madeira.
Black Maderia is considered the gold standard and it deserves a lofty status. The truth is any fig isn’t as good as my high brix nectarines. But they are good and probably about the best sweet fruit that many can grow in humid climates.
Do you still grow Paradiso?
Based on the photos, Panache appears to be underripe.
Yes and it ranks right with SV and Batt Green.
You are correct. That’s why it only rated a 7. CdD Grise, Black Madeira, and BFF were also under ripe. They are just starting so getting together that many varieties required some compromises.
Surprised that is all Gino’s can do for you there, maybe they dry out too fast to properly ripen in the heat? I remember you just liked a winter ripened Sangue Dolce though so maybe you just need to force all the other Etna types to fruit during winter as well…
Exquisito looks a whole lot like Sal’s Corleone, do you have any Sicilian Red types to compare against?
No I don’t. Exquisito is a seedling found near Oroville CA.
Sal’s Corleone is a very good tasting fig for me here. One of my favorite with the Black Italian and the rest of the Mountain Etna’s types.
Tony
When should I expect Strawberry Verte to ripen? Lots of small fruit but none are softening. Great pics and great looking fruit as always.
Drew
In everyones opinion were would the old fashioned types like brown turkey, celeste, etc. stack up against these fancy varieties?
Outdoors near Dallas you should get ripe fruit within the next month. I’ve had ripe SV for several weeks from my greenhouse.
Properly grown they’re all good. Like I said above figs aren’t as good as my best high brix stone fruit like nectarines, sweet cherries, or apricots. The figs are easier to grow and can be grown where really high quality stone fruit is nearly impossible.
I read what I could find about Exquisito so had heard that, what little I have seen is strikingly similar though, both fruit and leaf. Sal’s Corleone was the first “must have” fig but is unfortunately not as photogenic as others and fell out of fashion pretty quick.
@tonyOmahaz5 Sicilian Red is one of my favorites as well, I found a big tree in Wilmington DE near school in an abandoned lot some time ago and got spoiled since it was just me and the birds who knew about it.
Yeah I didn’t think they would stand up next to Apes and Nects! Thank you sir. I have lots of fruit set but they are still hard as a rock I look forward to trying them!
What varieties of nectarines do you like best. I’m in zone 5B and have a Hardired that I like. Also have a Moonglow that is.suseptable to fungus and produces a lot of mummy fruit. I pick them off as soon as I see any. I grafted some plums, plucots and Aprium on it and they are doing well.
Fruitnut
Are you in the hot and humid south? I’m in Pensacola Florida and wondering which of these will do well here. Thanks for the pics, really nice.
It’s much drier out here. I think I answered your question on eBay.