At least the first batch ripening is larger than normal and don't taste as good as I remember. The color is lighter too. It is almost as if the tree got too much rain while the fruit was swelling. I have seen this before and it renders the fruit almost inedible in my opinion. Last good rain was a couple of weeks ago before fruit started swelling. The tree is about 10 years old. I am hoping the later fruits will be somewhat normal.I mostly make preserves out of them so it probably does not matter much.

Here is what is different this year;
1. I pruned a few limbs. May be a total of 5%-10% of the bush last fall
2. Gave it a good dose of homemade compost in late winter plus a shot of lime.
3. Had a 'breba' crop early this year due to warmer weather. Most of it fell
4. Crop is ripening about 3 weeks ahead of normal due to warmer weather
5. Had good rain this spring
6. Very few fruit drop so far in the main crop

My guess is that one or more of the above factors contributed to the larger fruit. I ate the one split open in the picture and it was pretty good. Maybe I am getting used to it.

Anyone else notice anything similar?

None of the above should be contributing to poor taste. If the rain were more recent yes, that would be the culprit. I'm thinking you've had a taste of another variety? That might make these seem less tasty.

Larger fruits are ,larger because you pruned and fertilized.
Taste varies depending how well the fruit you tasted was properly ripe,or not.
Other fruits could taste much better.

I am seeing the same from one of my Celestes. I didn't do any of the things you did (except add a small amount of homemade compost around the trunk) nor have we had much rain. This particular tree does not drop much. I posted pics of the fruit in the .."unknown Morley" thread a cpl of days ago.

Both you guys are in TX, about 1-2 hours apart too, eh?  Interesting...

You're all wrong... fruit is larger cause it was grown in Texas... and you know what they say about everything from Texas....

I wasn't going to go there but I'm oh so happy someone else did.  Thanks, Ben! ;)

(In my best Texas accent)

Hi Ya'll!  Now, let me tell ya'll the truth about here in the great state of Texas. Everything IS BIGGER in Texas but the trees!!  It is the darnedest thing I ever did see.   Now, the fruit could be of a horse of anotha color, es-pecially  after that breba I had about a month ago, did ya'll see that thang!  It was HUGE!

Fellow Texans - I couldn't resist!  I've been here for almost 20 years!  For all of the ribbing I STILL get about my accent (which I don't have), I had to go through the opened door lol  :) :) :) :)

Now they are becoming the regular size and color. They are ripening by the multiple hundreds everyday. I think Herman was right as to why they were bigger.

This year I was lazy to net it as it is at least 15 feet in diameter and about 12 feet tall. There is still plenty for me and the birds.

Noss, those in the earlier the picture are ripe but not super ripe to the point of it shriveling. Almost 100% of what I pick go into making preserves that I share with friends and family at Christmas time. No one else in the family eats these figs unfortunately. I am hoping the kids will try them as they get older. Even I get tired of it and hardly eat any fresh ones. Fig preserves out of these on the other hand beats any kind of jam or preserves you can buy out there. Specially, the recipe I follow that has brandy in it.

Nana, I volunteer to help you eat the fresh figs - It's a tough job but someone's gotta do it. lol

Nice looking figs Nana

Thanks for taking time to post pix.

regards

Brandied fig preserves, now that sounds like something I could get used to.

Cecil you are welcome. Celeste is a workhorse for me just like for you. Mine is about 10yrs old.

Jo-Ann, you are welcome to come pick some. I bet you are not too far from me. If you want to come by tomorrow PM me. I can give you a Celeste plant too.

Barry, brandied fig jam is just awesome. Here is the link to the recipe I use. I omit the lemon now but it is really good!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Drunken-Fig-Jam-350120

I agree with Noss, your figs could go one more day before picking to get a darker,riper fig.

Picture in post #10 looks very enticing.