Had my first main season PN today.  It was about 21g and picked black but unripe.  I had low expectations, but it was mostly like eating a dry raspberry (tho' that's not the flavor--I was too surprised to really taste).  Tart and sweeter than acid, for the win!  Birds have started their harvests of anything that remotely looked ripe.  These are waaaay early fruits, so I think.

Shah8, you right these are very early figs. That black one shown on pics does not produce brebas and they become ripe as I said mid July. It is their average size, that one was a 59 g fruit. What I like in this fig is its pulp color which always shows marked orange traces when ripe. Apparently some members in this forum do have a problem getting this sort of fig ripe.
Francisco

All my black figs are now ripe. Sweeter and tastier than last season...
Francisco

Lampo i looked at you zip file of the fruits what type are those ?

Martin they look good dont they.

Dieseler,

Thank you for looking at my 'black figs'.My fault for not identifying the pics.

Well, nrs 12-13-14 - Smyrna Black (Euchário Preto)in pots.
Have shown before at varios stages of maturation, before and after 'wasp service'.

nrs 15-16-17 - This potted young fig tree I was given by a close friend this winter,indicating the variety as Curia. A San Pedro type fig.Have further inquired about its origins and was told that it could well be an Iberian ancestor of the Mission variety. Not sure, I have to dig further. Leaf cut is very similar to Mission but its texture is quite different, approaching the color and thickness/touch of the loquat leaves.
I am sure that this fig was caprified and have reserved one fruit to dry and test its seeds.

Thank you Nelson for your kind words

(1 euro coin in the pics is 22.3 mm approx 7/8 ")

Cheers
Francisco

The local variety 'TRES NUM PRATO' described by early authors and
 in Nelson's list of Portuguese figs is now becoming ripe and
with the help of my neighbor I could lay my hands on a couple of them and send the attached pictures. My trees are still too young, may be
next year I shall have one or two fruits.

I am convinced that here we are talking of a COMMON type fig, although
erratically, these trees may in some years produce a few brebas.
Their size is above average, around 60+ gram, very sweet and flavored.
Variations on skin colors may be a result of the location of the fruit in the tree, getting more or less sun light, wind..etc

To my question if this variety always shows these nice and big fruit, the grower said : yes, providing they get the assistance of the 'wild fig'!
By the way, he also gave me some guidance on how to substitute the caprifig and assure me that 'IT WORKS'!! -will talk about that later.

This fig has a strong popular demand in rural markets and always fetch high prices (around $7.5 per Kg).
Cheers
Francisco

7-14-2012
Celeste
Alma
Ginos
7-21-2012
BT
7-28-2012
Texas Everbearing
LSU Purple
St Jerome
8-4-2012
Hardy Chicago
Conadria EL

Long expected 'branduras' in a scalding Summer are bringing softness to the still hard but ripening figs, accelerating their maturation. This is typical of this place facing the southern coast with the sea always in view. The word 'brandura' (Spanish - 'blandura') with us, means exactly the very light cool sea breezes, loaded with humidity, appearing in the early morning hours and being generally lifted late in the morning.

This time I am bringing up a fig we call 'OLHO DA VINHA' or 'FIGO DE PADERNE' (COMMON type) and I wonder if I may find through the lot that has been written, discussed and shown, its similar or close variety somewhere. I have to thank my neighbor for his offer of a plate of figs from where I took the ones for the pictures.

This variety is one of the best I have ever tasted. Very sweet and juicy, with a reddish full pulp. Size above average, with fruits presenting various shades of red/brownish skin.
Francisco

Another black fig reaching full maturation now. This variety is known by 'COLAR' and  is becoming very popular every year in both Portugal and Spain.
A San Pedro variety producing the first brebas by mid June. The main crop (shown now) does not require caprification.
A bulky fruit well in excess of 60 gr. Very sweet and tasty.

Francisco

This is the earlier of the Bourjassote's. Called originally 'Bourjassotte noire' or 'Viollete de Solliès', - 'Figue de Solliès' or 'Parisienne' .

In Portugal, namely in the South, it is the 'Braçajote Preto'

It is a Common type fig, generally of more than average size with a special taste and flavor and sweet.

The young potted tree where this fig comes from was selected and severely attacked by an army of small ants just in mid spring and I had to use a light white wash spray all over the tree to control them.
They gave up for a couple of weeks then seemed to come back again and I was forced to use a rather strong solution of wine vinegar which finally
took good care of them.

However I am convinced that this had some influence in the ripening of the figs  which at one time I thought to be lost (in view of the treatments). They are coming up strong and earlier.

Francisco

Figo 'CACHOPEIRO'

Coming from a small, young potted tree this fruit is necessary small. In time I should have pinched its neighboring fruits but I did not.
It is extremely sweet and flavored. In the eastern side of my district it is widely consumes fresh but most goes for drying as it makes a much appreciated dry fruit.

I am still investigating what type of fig we are talking about. Old manuals say it is a Smyrna but I am not entirely convinced. If one goes and talk to the farmers, they cannot tell as the caprifig is so widespread that in every farm, big or small, it is a mandatory member of the fig family. The general claim being that it makes ALL figs better, sweeter and tastier.

Francisco

'PINGO DE MEL' (Gota de Miel)

The attached pictures show the widespread variety of 'PINGO DE MEL'.
It is now an established cultivar throughout the country, doing well
everywhere (our zones: 8, 9 and 10).
The first ripe figs are showing up now. A foreign name for this variety
seems to be  Dotatto or Kadota.

As a dry fig, it seems to be gradually replacing the old established
variety 'Figo Côtio' or 'Malaguenho'.

Very sweet and juicy.

Francisco

Lampo, thank you for the great pics. In particular the "Violet de Sollies" looks amazingly good.

 Pete

Pete,

Thank you for your kind comment. This variety is known for its productivity of top quality fruits. Its sweetness is always associated to a light and tasty acid flavor.
Along the years and after visiting many farms and orchards I came to the conclusion that the best Black and White Bourjassotte's are the ones growing on sites close to the sea shores.

Francisco

This variety called 'BEBERA PRETA' is cultivated all over Portugal.
It's a bulky fig of the Common type, sweet and flavored .

Francisco

An old variety known by: figo de 'QUARTEIRA' or 'PONTE DE QUARTEIRA' or simply  'DA PONTE'. It is a Common fig found mostly in the Central/Eastern councils of the Algarve (South Portugal). Famous for its exquisite flavor and sweetness it's a fig of rare excellence. A dish of these figs in a dining room, as they slowly mature, develop a particular and pleasant fruit scent. It is by its own nature a rather juicy fig.

Francisco

These are local Smyrna types - two varieties known by 'EUCHÁRIO BRANCO'  and 'EUCHÁRIO PRETO'.
The white variety matures approximately 3 weeks after the black one.
Both are delicious, very sweet, the white fig having a bit more fruity flavor. The great number of solid (fertile) seeds spread in their pulps gives these figs a very special taste.
Fresh, they are a top choice by the local communities, for preparation of their salads, entries as well as being widely used as desserts

Francisco

Another common type fig, called 'DOIS À FOLHA'. Fruit of average size, roundish turbinate, with green skin. When fully ripe tends to crack around an open ostiole. Through the final stages of maturation, pulp changes from  pinkish to dark amber, becoming extremely sweet, compact and syrupy. Very good for the fresh market as well as for drying.

Francisco

Lampo, I love the figs you can grow there, they look very delicious.

08/16/2012
Colisanti Dark Main crop
Celeste

Thank you Chivas for your nice comment.
I am lucky to live in the right region for this fruit and my contribution to the forum is to identify for you the local names illustraded with the corresponding pictures as these varieties become ripe.
Francisco

This variety called 'VERDEAL' was long ago, very popular in this district. It's a Smyrna type.
Fruits are of medium size, very short neck, oblate with very light ribs and small white dots when ripe. Skin is of a mint green at full maturation and extremely thin. Pulp is of a deep red, pretty juicy, with numerous small seeds, sweet with light traces of acidity.
Regardless of its size and a generously juicy pulp this fig dries quite well.

Francisco

Figs of the 'SOFÊNO' variety (black) as I was told.
Old and abandoned tree on a country road side in deep valley, getting direct sun light until 4 PM in Summer, then shaded by steep hill on its SW side.
All shown figs were taken today from last year's wood.
Few fruit, size bellow average, dark violet skin until gaining full ripeness, then blackish. Pulp dark red with many seeds with good flavor, thick but not as juicy as other varieties. It is not a very sweet fig. These are possibly late brebas, this being quite unusual in this type of climate (Hardiness 10+).
This tree does show a very limited following crop with fruit still green. Nearest caprifig 3 mile distant.
I invite your comments please

Francisco

This has to be my favorite looking fig of all the ones you have posted on the forum. I can only imagine the seed crunch this figs brings which is something i enjoy when eating a fig.
I'm off to bed and hope that fig is in my dreams.
Thanks Lampo for sharing those pictures.

They are beauties, Francisco!