I've been very blessed and humbled by the generosity of some of our long standing members who for no reason other than their kindness have sent me some amazing figs. 

Today I got to taste a St Rita.  It was beyond good.  Start with a Violette de Bordeaux and make it richer, more complex and more of a blackberry/strawberry mix than the VdB's raspberry. 

The skin flavor is a huge part of the mix of flavors in this one, just like VdB.





Super tight eye




Yummy as can be

Bob,

This is a very nice little fig !
It seems that small size figs do concentrate their taste and flavor/sweetness riches making them super delicious.

Francisco

Very nice, Bob! Is she a good grower, producer? How old is the plant?

Ah the dark side Rc eh ?

Bob, looking good

Francisco, you are right as always.  If it weren't for a nasty horned beetle I'd trade cuttings with you.   :)

Marteen, Mwah ha ha ha ha, yes, the dark side.  My in ground Hardy Chicago has also started ripening fruits.  The dark ones seem to come later.

Frank, I believe the cutting had 1 1/2 seasons under her belt before she came to me which would make this her third season.  This year has been a tough one for my figs.  It was a cold start and I used a pine bark chunk soil mix.  I used extra fertilizer but not enough.  Many of my figs didn't grow at all until July when I gave them a huge boost in fertilizer.  St Rita grew better than most in May and June.  She more than doubled in size.  I can't say what she'd do in a normal year.  Very few figs have given me fruit this year and Rita has 4.  That's as many as my 6+ year old Conadria and Oregon Prolific.  She was out done only by a large, 4+ year old Panache, 5+ year old VdB, a 3rd season Unknown OC 'Hearty Flavor' and my 20 year old, in ground Hardy Chicago.   One St Rita fig ripened while I was out of town and *may* still be in a friend's fridge.  *All* of the the unknown OC ripened while I was out of town (I didn't get a single one!) so she's smarter that way, too.  So she's tough when the going's tough but I don't know what she's like in optimal growing conditions.  She's very proud of her accomplishments and has written to her mother twice with photos.  I'll take a new one today and post it.  We have had perfect fig ripening weather except for 1 night of heavy rain.  It's been sunny with highs in the mid 80s to high 90s, lows between 68-72.

My most valuable figs including St. Rita are staying in a container for now. From 3" High to 3' in two months. No figs yet.

Great looking Bob ! This one is somewhere in the future for me as the more I read about it the more of a must have it becomes. 
Glad it was sooo good for you and your weather is cooperating !

Bob,

Thank you very much indeed that is very kind of you
When I first saw your Santa Rita, the bell rang...and I remembered this one.

if yours was not over ripe (to my taste), it could be interesting to compare.

Francisco

Yes indeed,good quality fig.

my st Rita is still small, hope next year I get some figs.
Mark

My St Rita is also a small plant, and still less than a year old. No figs yet, but a number of other yearlings are starting to put on a few tiny figs. Late, yes, but out here where there is no frost, you never know. I was picking a few nice Bealls in January last year.

I already had been leaning to the dark side, but the more figs I taste, both dark and light, the more I find myself preferring the smaller, darker ones like St Rita. I have great hopes for it. There are exceptions and many new ones still to taste, but the smaller dark ones have been winning my personal taste tests. Some of those shriveled beauties are truly to die for.

Francisco, I don't think they're the same.  The pith (white part between the skin and the pulp) usually shrinks as a fig ripens.  Your pith is smaller than mine while my fig was more ripe.  Can't say for sure but that's my guess.

Bob, I am not saying that they could be the same fig.. I found interesting, looking at the external lines, the contours, the bent stalk and those white dots on the skin, made me remember that small fig I had shown recently, originated from a seedling ( in a palm tree) temporary named 'Sparrow fig'.
I picked it up before complete ripeness, fearing that someone would take it and I was left with no fig to show.

Francisco