So I've got several 2nd season VDB, Improved Celeste and LSU Scott's Black showing little baby figs right now. I know I live in a long growing season area but I dont know if they really have long enough to ripen a fruit properly at this point. Is it worth even leaving them in there at this point or just knock them off and push as much growth as possible this season? I guess I could always just leave one or two and see how well they do starting this late in the season. What would you do?

Someone on another thread (I think they were in NY) said after this week figlets should be removed since they won't ripen. I've seen 90 to 120 days for a fig to develop and ripen.  I can't speak with any real authority, but based on that you should be OK?

Hopefully there is still time to ripen, I've got a couple figlets that will be my first!

Here any figs that form before August 1 get to stay.....any after that point get removed.  

I would leave them...you have a long growing season in Houston

From everything I've read figs ripen in 75-90 days, depending on climate and temperature. So Rob, you have plenty of time for those babies to ripen. I live in zone 7b and I plan to pinch off anything that forms after the first week of Aug.  Our average first frosts are first or second week of Nov.

BtW, you can check the first frost map for your area at http://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-arkansas-first-frost-date-map.ph

For my zone, I am already starting to take them off, I just don't want to waste the energy of the tree on them in case they don't ripen or do so when it is colder, especially with winter damage I have had.

I agree that in Texas you have no problems.
 
Most of my 2nd year trees are doing this also. They made a small number of figs in the first round, and now just about every branch has about 5 new figs coming in. I keep doing the math in my head and convincing myself that they will have time. I have 89 days until our average first frost date, plus I can always shuffle them to the sun room, I think I'm good.

Not to add to the complexity but October days do not = July days.  As the weather cools and we move towards fall the days shorten so less hours of sun.....the weather turns more cloudy so less hours of sun......the angle of the sun changes so less energy to the leaves....the nights and days get cooler which slows the plants down.   All of those factors slow the plants and slows the ripening of the figs and what would have ripened in 90 now will take 120 days......

This is where a greenhouse would be really handy...

very true for you......for me it would take a awful big green house since they are in ground scattered over 3 acres:)  

Come on Wills, you can do it!!! Your the man for that project;)

I actually know a professional green house builder ........Hershell?  I need a quote:)  

I was looking forward to trying recipes for unripe figs,  Many recipes for pickles, preserves, glacee' etc.  If it doesnt harm the tree I would like to leave  the figletts on and use them green.  
  
 How pretty is this?

http://www.giverecipe.com/unripe-fig-jam.html

Yeah, I just spotted that recipe too. I have an old abandoned fig in mind for this. The tree gets too much shade late in the summer so only the earliest to ripen are really tasty. The rest taste a bit 'green.' I am going to wait until Oct pluck them off and try this recipe. I figure I don't have anything to lose; the tree is not mine (but on an empty lot), and the figs just go to waste. The only thing would be the sugar, and that is cheap.

Has anyone ever made something like this with unripe figs?

I bet its easy to beat the birds to them picking that early!