San Diego, CA

This had always been an under-performer with so-so figs until it got moved next to the driveway and picked up more reflective heat. Now it is quite good. Fruit are small-medium.

I chose these pix because they illustrate the various degrees of ripeness, which is often a question. In this case, some wrinkles in the skin is a good thing and indicates a better degree of jam like texture.

I love the 'fig of the day' idea.
The leaf pic is very good reference.

Newnan, Ga, another work horse in the SE similar to Celeste in productivity.

It is at its best when dead ripe with the wrinkles. My in ground tree is just starting to get ripe figs.

can"t wait to try mine...unfortunately will have to wait till next year

I've had my HC for 2 1/2 years now - a Lowes buy. Last year I got a couple ripe figs and they were good. It grew a lot this year and has a nice amount of figs on it . Not nearly ripe yet as a cool ,wet spring slowed us down here - L.I. NY. I am looking forward to getting some ripe ones . All my figs are in pots.

Hi Jon. Thanks for the beautiful pictures and info. I'm really enjoying " The fig of the day" series. Very helpful. Elizabeth.

I like the "fig of the day" idea too.  By the way, I am intrigued by these comments (made by Jon here and by others in reference to other figs) that some figs need a certain amount of heat to properly ripen figs.   I am wondering which varieties need this and which ones do not.  Does it correlate to the extent of sunlight needed?  I have an area that will fit two in-ground figs that gets more heat than any other location in my yard.  It is near the south facing brick wall of my house on one side and an asphalt driveway on the other.  It also gets the most sun of any location.  I am trying to figure which figs will do the best there.  Maybe I should post a separate thread for this.

Greetings All

Overcast and rainy here in Maryland today, I thought I would take a quick snap of one of the smaller branches of my HC and a single leaf to share it with the forum. Hundreds of figs on this tree in a holding pattern waiting to ripen. I do see two that will be ready in a week IF the temps get back to the 90's as predicted.

Found a nice ripe HC today, here's a quick snap.

Nice hot temps moved in, our HC responded very quickly. photo no 4 of figs we picked today,22 Aug.

Photo No. 5 - HC figs picked 25 Aug. Nice dry, hot temps are helping!

Love this series so far. Can we please get them pinned up top in a folder for easier reference?

Good variety for the North East. Has a good breba and main crop.
The pictures are of the breba.

great series jon. please keep going.

the HC pics were very special for me. now i wont have to bother you about proper ripeness next year when mine  hopefully produces. that's the tree that brought me to this wonderful forum.

Spot on Jon with those Hardy Chicago pictures.
Perhaps underrated as its been around long time yet 1 of my favorites .

People assume Hardy Chicago isn't a great tasting fig based on the name and cold tolerance but it seems to be one of the better ones.

Sometimes the "old standard varieties" got to be the old standard varieties by being good. And, then, because they are not the "hot new thing" they get overlooked or ignored.

Ulster, New York, Zone 6.

Hardy Chicago has been my taste standard since tasting them last year.
Pictured is my container grown Hardy Chicago, although this summer has been cool, overcast and rainy (night low temperatures have been in the 50's for the past 2 weeks),  I'm only a few weeks away from harvesting ripe figs. This plant is 1-1/2 years old, in a 5 gallon bucket in a modified 5-1-1 potting mix, has put on over 12 linear feet of growth and set 4 dozen figs which are currently at the stagnant stage.

Hardy Chicago is the fig that got me hooked on all figs. One tree produced 2 figs last year and they were DELICIOUS! That was my first time tasting a fresh ripe fig. This year both of my HC trees are loaded with unripe figs. I can't wait to taste more.

I like the crunchy seeds in the HC figs.

Has anyone had the opportunity to compare the seed crunchiness and number of seeds in HC figs grown in areas where there are fig wasps vs areas with no wasps?  Any difference?
 

Like to add that 1 season years back i was able to dry some Hardy Chicago figs and the taste was Bada Bing.

I just my first HC. If this is not a premium fig, then I have some truly amazing things to look forward to

I was on my way home from work last night and stopped at Loews for something and on my way out I saw this table by the exit near all the plants. Lo and behold there were about 20 Hardy Chicago's in very nice shape at $10.98 each !! Who can pass one of those by? Nice leaves good looking plant with a bunch of figs on it. So I get home and check the forum and there it is: Fig of The Day. 
Meant to be. Here he is and a bargain to boot. This Lowes is in Orangeburg, NY
 

One of my favorites.  I like 'em when they're wrinkling and just starting to dry on the tree, "overripe" I call it.

Mike   central NY state, zone 5a

          Does this look like Hardy Chicago. Got plants from sis-in-law in 

Alabama 2 years ago.

Hello,
I am curious as to how warm the weather has to be so figs can ripen I have my Chicago hardy figs for over a little over year put it in the ground last year about may.
have over 20 figs this year there are green and big as a ping pong ball or a bit smaller. I read that they plump up the last 5 days before they are ready. just read here that the tempurture can effect them also. its been about mid 70 - low 90 here in nj so far. very mild summer.
thank you
Stephen