Ordered a "Texas Blue Giant" from Pine Island Nursery, in Summer, 2011.  Grew very well, and overwintered without any damage.  This year it set about 12-15 main crop figs on a 4 foot tree.  The main-crop figs are no ripening, and in fact I sampled one or two figs over the last three days.  I let them hang until very soft, and ripe.  The figs are quote large, and the go from a lurid, red tinged green fig, to a dark purple fig with a blue powdery blush as they ripen.  A very nice looking fig.  Too bad they didn't taste as good as they look.

The figs are really like two figs in one.  The whole bottom, or eye end of the figs are very sweet, and pleasant tasting...not rich...but good enough.  Then as you work towards the stem end, the fig turns watery, and very bland.  Like eating two different figs.  Only the bottom half is worth eating.  The eye starts to enlarge as the figs ripen also.

Maybe down South, or in a warmer, longer, growing season, this fig will do fine?  If this is as good as this variety gets in NYC climates...don't bother.  Grow something better.

Just my opinion.  This variety is a dud in NYC climates.

Frank

Is it a young tree?

Welcome to Brown Turkey by a different name.

Bob...

I guess it is relatively young.  I had it two years, and it must have been at least a year, or, two old when the nursery sold it to me.  So.... I would think the tree is at least three years old, minimum.  I have it growing in a 5-gallon container, and it might be better off in-ground.  Come this fall, after onset of dormancy, the tree is going South, to the bayous...to a grower/friend.  I'm done with the "Texas Blue Giant".  I learned long ago to cut my losses.  Don't have the room, nor, the time.

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Jon....

So...the "Texas Blue Giant" is just another "Brown Turkey" that "knows somebody"!  Now I know why you steer clear.  I wonder if it will do better in the deep South?



Frank

The same down South. My flip flop taste better than these figs!  However the English Brown Turkey and Southeastern Brown Turkey taste good.

If it was dark, Martin will want one. Do flip-flops grow on trees?

I have several Brown Turkeys, Blue Giants, Texas Blue Giants, etc. You can throw in Walker, and some others. To me they are all BT-like, and we all know what I think of BT.

Just as Jon said, it's is in the same category as Brown Turkey. I visited Fannicks nursery in San Antonio and they showed me the mother tree of the Blue Giant. The fig was growing at their location prior to having the nursery there and they collected it and gave it the name. 
I found this fig being sold at farmers markets in San Antonio TX. It even lacked the flavor in Texas, Celeste is heaps better in flavor.
For me, it was the first one to split in the rain.

give it few more years and see if you like it. if not, it will make a nice door stop.

My original hunch was right....this variety is terrible.  Dry, corky, spongy, figs that drop if a breeze blows the wrong way.  If some manage to get ripe... insipid, blah, "flavor"....just not worth the money, or time, or space, to grow it!  Up here in The Bronx, NYC this variety is a big, ZERO!  Possibly a better variety for the deep, hot, South, and dry, hot states.



Frank

Here in Texas is splits far, far worse that Brunswick with rain and ferments making long stinky foam stalactites. The only maybe plus was that they were so nasty the birds stayed away. Big and pretty but awful. They also seem to have this distinctive throat drying ability. Not my tree, oh by the way!

noss....

I due time...in due time.  Then YOU can deal with the split "corks".  : )))))))

Frank

Noss, I'll be happy to get you one. You can also pretend you are at the beach and that it is a sea cucumber...