Hello all, I would like to know which varieties in your collection are the most durable when ripe. I mean which ones have thick skins and or thick rinds that keep the figs from splitting open or squishing after picking. Also, if you have noticed that some varieties in your collection are particularly delicate please mention them as well. Thank you.

Durable figs:
Panache
LSU Gold
Verte
White Triana
Kadota
Peters Honey
Atreano* delicate skin
Col de Dames
Orphan
Negretta

Brent, LSUGold handles very well as does the Panachee. So do Vertw and The White Triana. A really ripe VdB needs delicate fingers.

Thanks for the help.

I am looking for good commercial varieties by the way. This is one characteristic that is not often mentioned when talking about figs, unless the person reporting does not like thick skins that is. 

Brent,

I seem to remember Kadota and Peter's Honey having thick skins.  It's been a few years since I've grown them, so I'm relying on a memory that isn't as good as it used to be.

good luck,
~james

"Atreano"-Belleclare...

Almost a perfect fig, but delicate skin on ripe figs easily bruises, and rubs off in the picking process.  I learned to snip these figs from the branches to avoid messy figs.

Frank

Brent, the local market growers here are into the LSUGold for that reason. And I am still impressed with the condition of the Panachee figs in the grocery store. The local foo-foo market had a big display of figs from California with tastings and the Calimyra, Mission and Brown Turkey were meh but the Panachee was still quite flavorful. Going to corner the market?

While I do not have it in my collection, the Col De Dames are supposed to have a thick, durable skin from what I have heard, for what it's worth anyways.

Orphan is the most durable fig I grow, held up better than any of the others in record breaking rain. I do have the Col de dmaes but haven't gotten fruit yet

Thanks everybody, I am seeing a pattern here of mostly light figs. I add Negretta since I asked Martin a while back.