As we speak, all over the Mediterranean Basin and in other World Regions with similar or approximate climate/environment the Caprifig is ripening its spring crop and millions of minute insects (Blastophaga psenes) are exiting this fruit carrying pollen to caprify or pollinate other fig types,  like the Smyrnas, SanPedro main crop and .... also the Common fig.

Question : Do the Common fig requires pollination to ripen ??
Not at all but, ..if pollinated they become better and bigger fruit, so growers in wasp areas do benefit from both voluntary or involuntary pollination.
This is nothing new and  many authors wrote about it, notably Eisen and Condit the two famous US fig fathers.
A clear example is this Portuguese variety of a great Common fig

Non-pollinated 'Bebera Branca' (average weight 60 to 90 gr), light red insides and  a moderate pulp cavity

 
 
Once pollinated this same variety will become much heavier (always well beyond  100++ gr) may eventually reach 200 gr,  a full pulp of a deeper red color and lots of syrup.. a super delicious fig.

 

 

Francisco
Portugal

Beautiful! Thank you for sharing.

Thats amazing! Thanks for sharing. I usually put bags over my figs about a month in their development So they may not get pollinated. What stage do you reckon i can put the bags on them after they get pollinated? (if that makes sense) haha

Kind regards

Sure makes me wish I had the fig wasp in my area. I will of course be happy with mine if they look and are as big as your first pics...but those caprified Bebera Branca look to die for!!

Beautiful figs indeed! Thanks for providing both the information and the delicious looking pictures....

Thank you Wendy and Tony for your nice commenting on my post on the pollinated Bebera Branca

Other Common figs do get great benefits from allowing the minute insect to freely pollinate their flowers
My beloved Violeta is another example..

It turns out a full pulp... of a Carmine red color and God knows where it goes to find that much honey !!


 
 

Francisco
Portugal

Wow! That is a BEAUTIFUL looking fig! Oh, the AGONY of looking at the pictures without the ECSTASY of being able to taste them....

Lampo. Thank you for the information.

I've got two questions for you:

Does Bebera Branca have a berry taste at all?
Have you ever seen an unpollinated Bebera Branca with a yellow interior rather than the red/pinkish color in your pictures above?

Francisco, you always have the most poetic descriptions of your figs.  I love it!  I'm happy to say that after a year of daydreaming about your Bebera Branca, I'm finally growing one now as well.  :)

Francisco... My GH is all primed and loaded for bear and hopefully the varieties you mentioned will do their part, grow, mature and at least offer me a taste or two of their sweet delights... Regards the Bebera Branca, Harvey just had one for auction on eBay but I missed the bidding so will keep an eye out in case another is offered.... It looks so amazing ....

@tsparozi if you do not snag a Bebera Branca from eBay or in a trade let me know. Mine is growing so vigorously I am sure I will be able to take a few cuttings this fall.

It's one happy plant with 4 branches now.

Thank you, Wendy! I appreciate it...

Interestingly, some of the figs that I have tasted at USDA/UC Davis (where everything is or is presumed to caprified) agrees only in part. There are some varieties that definitely are inferior in taste to the their counterparts grown without caprification.  The first time this was noticed it could be blamed on a poor  or unusual season, but after several years, the disparity persists. One of the notable exceptions is Violette de Bordeaux.

The figs pictured above are indeed pure gold.... 

I think that JRRT had figs in mind when he coined the passage: "All that is gold does not glitter......" 

Anyone that doubts JRRT was a fig fan need only look at the last line of the same passage... "Deep roots are not reached by the frost...."; clearly a reference to deep planting for winter protection....