My wife and I just returned from a week on the road. I quickly ran to the back yard to see if my son had kept my potted figs watered, or would I be forced to disown him ;-)
He kept them all watered (even though he hates figs) and lo and behold, my VdB had 5 ripe figs on it. One was half eaten by birds, but I still ate it too. Wow, these VdB are great! The pulp was jammy and rich. The skin was thin but had a noticable taste of its own. They were excellent, 9 out of 10 in my book. Similar to my Hardy Chicago, but I think VdB are better.
I also had one ripe fig on my 2 yr old Strawberry Verte. It was good, but not great. Probably 7 out of 10. The pulp was not red like I've seen in photos, it was amber. Does anyone know if that will change as the tree gets older?
And off topic, I also had the first muscadines of the season. Just a few were ripe on my "Sugar Gate." They have a very rich taste and are easily one of the best tasting fruits you can grow here in Central Arkansas.