I was able to try a Maltese Beauty fig for the first time from a tree I acquired in 2013.  It has been a slow grower for me and was just about at a complete stand still for me last year but it did put on some growth this year and it produced a couple of figs.

I love watching your videos Tom

Me Too ! Thanks Tom!

Me too/Thanks

I also have a young Maltese Beauty that I received this past Spring. I have it growing in a location where it gets lots of sun and heat. It is healthy, put on decent growth and developed a few figs.    I didn't note exactly when the figs started developing but it must have been by mid-June at the latest.  Anyway, I let one stay on and it still isn't showing signs of ripening!  So it would appear to be a very late variety - at least as late as the Col de Dame Blanc.  I'm wondering if I want another really late fig in my collection.  Tom, did you note how long it took from the figs just starting to develop (pea sized) to the ripening date?

I read somewhere that in Italy they hasten ripening by stabbing figs with a needle.  I thought that was interesting and did some "stabbing experiments" this fall, though probably too late in the season.  One of my Maltese Beauty got 4 needle sticks :) 

Has anyone else noticed that damaged figs ripen faster?  I had a Florea that accidentally got cut and it was the first to ripen.  Might have been a coincidence.  It tasted great btw.

I haven't heard of damaging figs to accelerate ripening but I have heard of the the ol' trick of applying olive oil to the ostiole.  I doubt if the outcome in terms of taste is as good when figs ripen this way as compared to letting nature work on its own timeline.