Have accepted Aurora's invitation for lunch as I know that when she invites me there will be something interesting and ... the meals I love!

This time she prepared a 'polenta' made with yellow corn ground to the ideal grain size and cooked in the juices of steamed christian clams 'a l'ail et au persil', and olive oil. .. a delicacy!

That was the start, then came a big dish of fried oysters and a green raw salad with lettuce 'sunny' tomatoes, grilled red peppers and sweet oignons...

For dessert I was presented with a plate of Violeta figs.. I cannot remember the exact number but I may have eaten well over a dozen..
They seem better now ! Sweet and juicy with a complex aroma mix..Delicious figs

If the weather keeps warm, dry and sunny, Violetas may be ripening through the rest of the month...may be into November..

Here are some pictures

Francisco

Yessssssss!   ; )

Francisco... you join the ranks of other cruel posters. Those figs look WONDERFUL. A girl can dream. :)

Is Violeta known by any other name? Jon's database doesnt have much to say about it.


Wait 'till next year!

[URL=http://www.sherv.net/emoticons.html][IMG]http://www.sherv.net/cm/emoticons/hungry/big-drooling-smiley-emoticon.gif[/IMG][/URL]

From a previous thread on Violeta, Francisco said:

[QUOTE]Pete, although still with some reservations (less and less every time) I am convinced that this nice figs are the distant brothers of Black Madeira, Figo Preto, C' de Burro, etc.. ALL from same parent tree and duly propagated with scions and, may be rooted trees, taken through time from here to distant places, at a time where there was  freedom to root them at will.
 [/QUOTE]

It makes great sense that the best tasting of figs in ancient times would have been widely traded around the Mediterranean region - and have several names, plus a bit of genetic drift over time. 

Francisco: Very beautiful and tasty figs, thanks for sharing. I have one Violetta from Burnt Ridge Nursery, it probably not the same as your Violeta. Does anyone know more information about Violetta from Burnt Ridge Nursery, please know, thank you.

Sophie: I like your animation.

Best,
Tam

Violetta is a fig patented by Plattner in Germany.  They are sold under license here; I have one, and will get the first ripe fig off it in a few days if the wasps don't beat me to it. 

I've read that it is a only a variant of Celeste, a "sport" with a bit bigger fig and a little more cold resistance.  When it first came out it was touted as being resistant to zero or so, but that has been modified now--last I heard it was the standard 4 degrees F.  

Anyone with better information? 

Hi Oxankle
you can see read about your plant here that has the patent it is different from one in this thread .
Also its mentioned here as coming from Germany named Bayernfeige Violetta.

Lampo fig called Violeta looks exactly like my Black Madeira probably from same family if its not the same fig.

Thank you all for your kindness and nice words and probably a strong desire to come here and taste my figs!! Who knows ?, some day it may well happen.

Martin,..yesss that is a super black fig!

Gina, I had no intentions to be that cruel ! Thought the potential impact could be diluted in the 'polenta' and oysters!? well ,thank you!
The oldest reference I have on Violeta (there may be others) dates back from 1882, on a paper written by a local botanist describing the various aspects of the fig farming business at that time,  as well as the actual  varieties deserving to be mentioned.
My grand dad Joaquim, (born 1867) from who I learn figs  always spoke highly of Violeta , in his own appreciation, second to his beloved Smyrna's. For grand mother the best after Smyrna was Quarteira´still today an excellent white fig.

I am convinced that Violeta gave the roots to Black Madeira, via Figo Preto of the Northern coast of Madeira, taken by emigrants to the US as well as to many other places. I shall not be surprised if it shows up in South Africa , Hawaii, Brazil, etc.. where sizable communities of emigrants from the Islands have settled  for the last couple of centuries.

Sophie, Violeta is really very good.  You must love figs very much

Tam, let me have a look of that fig from Burnt Ridge Nursery..Any pictures?

Oxankle, The Violeta I showed above is a totally different fig in every respect and is not patented...I am much interested to see pictures of your Violette.

Francisco

Sorry about that mix-up.  Mine is the Bayernfeige Violetta---Bayernfeige just means the fig came from Bavaria.

LOL, now that I've done a bit more exploring I see that people say this is nothing more than the Brown Turkey registered under a patented name.  I give up---who knows what it is. 

Ox

Martin: Yes, Francisco's Violeta's figs look very similar to your Black Madeira's figs. How are about the leaf shapes?

Francisco: Can you please take more leaf photos when you have a chance? So, we can see if Violeta is the same as Black Madeira in America, and thank you for sharing.

Best,
Tam

Hi

Ox, I understand, figs always give us surprises ..some pleasant,  others not that much

Tam, thank you for your keen interest on Violeta...this is the best I can do for now.
Hope this helps on your investigations
Look at  those pictures and tell us what you think.

cheers
Francisco

The leaves looks so similar to Black Maderia, if this is not the same fig it would have to be a relative somehow to black maderia like you mentioned, the figs look the same to me.

Hi James,

You are probably right , we are talking here of the same cultivar.
I would love to hear fellow members growing this fig, either Preto or BM in the good California places
how is the behavior of this fig.
Few  figs perform in my climate, as Violeta does.
My first topic this season on this fig was at the early days of August...3 or 5 days after, there were plenty of ripe fruit. From there on, it kept ripening figs and if weather helps it will do so up to the end of October at least.
May be Harvey or Sue chime in and tell of their experience... Sue must have a lot of figo Preto!

Francisco

[QUOTE=lampo]Hi James,

You are probably right , we are talking here of the same cultivar.
I would love to hear fellow members growing this fig, either Preto or BM in the good California places
how is the behavior of this fig.
Few  figs perform in my climate, as Violeta does.
My first topic this season on this fig was at the early days of August...3 or 5 days after, there were plenty of ripe fruit. From there on, it kept ripening figs and if weather helps it will do so up to the end of October at least.
May be Harvey or Sue chime in and tell of their experience... Sue must have a lot of figo Preto![/QUOTE]

My small Pretos have a surprising amount of fruit on them as yearlings. I expect them to ripen and get a taste. I am in California, but coastal, so it rarely gets hot here, unlike commercial fig growing areas.

Jon just said this in the current 'Preto' thread:

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/show_single_post?pid=1279897595&postcount=18
[QUOTE]Leon, I think they are closely related. The diff seems to be that the Preto ripens with less heat. It rip0ens near the beach where my BM would never ripen. Flavor seems indistinguishable.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=lampo]Hi James,

You are probably right , we are talking here of the same cultivar.
I would love to hear fellow members growing this fig, either Preto or BM in the good California places
how is the behavior of this fig.
Few  figs perform in my climate, as Violeta does.
My first topic this season on this fig was at the early days of August...3 or 5 days after, there were plenty of ripe fruit. From there on, it kept ripening figs and if weather helps it will do so up to the end of October at least.
May be Harvey or Sue chime in and tell of their experience... Sue must have a lot of figo Preto![/QUOTE]

My small Pretos have a surprising amount of fruit on them as yearlings. I expect them to ripen and get a taste. I've had other figs ripen into January. I am in California, but coastal, so it rarely gets hot here (or very cold), unlike commercial fig growing areas.

Jon just said this in the current 'Preto' thread:

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/show_single_post?pid=1279897595&postcount=18
[QUOTE]Leon, I think they are closely related. The diff seems to be that the Preto ripens with less heat. It rip0ens near the beach where my BM would never ripen. Flavor seems indistinguishable.[/QUOTE]

Wow!  What a tasty thread with great pictures.  I would love to try to a Preto fig.  Here in the pacific northwest we don't get a lot of heat.  Thank you for sharing.

Francisco: Thanks for taking your time to take photos of your Violeta. Base on your information and photos: the color of the pulps, the leaf and fruit shapes indeed, yes Violeta does look like Black Madeira in Ameriaca. Maybe both Violeta and Black Madeira are the same cultivar. Francisco, please let us know how many percents of one and three lobed leaves are on your Violeta? Thanks for sharing Francisco.

Herman2, Martin, Nelson, Leon, Jon and other experient members please chime in. Thank you.

Best,
Tam

On our madeira there is 1 and 3 lobe leaves with some scattered 5 lobes or as some might
say 3 lobe with 2 thumbs.

The other madeira from same parent displays all 1 and 3 lobe leaves but only in 2nd season and
soon the 5 lobe leaves will start to appear perhaps next season or following season.

My Black Maderia is in it's third year, this is the first year I have seen 5 lobes, but very low number of them maybe 3 or 4 leaves, the majority are 3 lobed and then 1 lobed maybe around 15-20%.  Just like Martin said, 3 lobes had those thumbs on them.

Martin and Chivas: Thanks for your comments of Black Madeira. 

Best,
Tam

Tam,

Let me see if I may correctly respond to your question..

Violeta leaves show:

-as a baby tree, just rooted, very perfect contours of a symmetric 3 lobe ( no thumbs) as the pics show.

-before the 1st re-potting, or going to the dirt, and as it grows, noticed a tendency to have more lobe-less leaves, very few 3 lobe and the rudiments of thumbs.. at this time some young trees shoot out many figlets, sometimes 5,  6 figs or more per plant

-Adult trees mostly with the typical 3 lobe and thumbs and a few lobe-less ( 90 + 10 %) very rare 5 lobe.

Gina,

Figo Preto, grows along northern coast of Madeira main island completely exposed to the constant NE trade winds, loaded with humidity all year round, an atmosphere seasoned with the salted spray from the heavy swell... very mild temperatures, a good place for figs, few watering if any, no shuffling, hassles, etc.. this link takes you a piece of the coastline typical for Preto
Nelson please feel free to correct me if I said some nonsense..

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/74990220?source=wapi&referrer=kh.google.com

Violeta, the figs I have been showing are from the plains of the south coast of Portugal in full Mediterranean climate, mild winters and very hot and dry summers, very close to the  year round mild sea, no swell and dominant winds from the NW,  and SE bringing un-breathable air from the Sahara (*) sometimes loaded with fine red sand, no good at all, damaging vegetables and trees and infuriating housewives having cloth and bedsheets drying outside !!..see the link showing the Violeta places

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/84497336?source=wapi&referrer=kh.google.com

We know now when both Preto, BM,  and Violeta ripen.. as well as their ambiance..The missing link is a report from  someone from that Madeira northern cost to tell us what happens over there

(*) These bad winds if too strong willl reach Madeira and, getting a lift from the NE trades go all the way West to the Caribbean and the Gulf

Francisco

Lampo here is picture from last year 2012 showing some leaves of our madeira.

Francisco: Thanks for more information about Violeta and the 2 links to the two beautiful photos. According to the post #23 above, there is the Black Madeira cultivar in Madeira with the same name and cultivar as the Black Madeira in America, right Francisco? 

Martin: Thanks for sharing you very nice and healthy Black Madeira tree. please let  me know how old is your tree? Thanks.

Best,
Tam

[QUOTE=Dieseler]Lampo here is picture from last year 2012 showing some leaves of our madeira.[/QUOTE]

That is one healthy tree. I'd describe it as 'muscular'.  If it wasn't the middle of October right now, I'd go out and fertilize, lol.

Tam plant was acquired in October of 2008 .

I will admit that in my head - reflecting a lack of thinking (as sometimes happens) - I was mixing up the islands of Malta and Madeira! When I went to look for more photos of Madeira, I found a map pointing me to the error of my ways.

Martin,

Thanks for showing your grown-up Black Madeira

That is a very nice and robust tree. And it looks very prolific as well.
Think we are all lucky and happy growing this cultivar and its ancestors, Preto and Violeta.

Tam,

Thank you.

The name Black Madeira was ( I think) given to Figo Preto after it landed and rooted in California. The name is exclusive to America

In Madeira it is 'Figo Preto' as it is called over there. Nobody to my knowledge, in Madeira, knows the meaning of Black Madeira, neither relates this expression to a fig.

In southern Portugal this cultivar,  the father of Preto and BM is Violeta.

Note: Last year, eating with friends in a local restaurant run by a fellow from Madeira and tasting some local black Smyrnas for dessert, I asked him if he was aware of Black Madeira, the fig... He said that I was probably mixing up fish with figs, to what I asked why..
and he said that the only black madeira he was aware of, was the popular Madeira's scabbard, (which is black), the filets and roe are a delicacy and sell like hot cakes to his British clients.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cY56UlafLO0/Tr6oheqA-BI/AAAAAAAAJhI/6oX9uDV8DHo/s1600/3.JPG

Francisco
 

Martin: Thanks for sharing information about your Black Madeira. 

Francisco: Oh, ha ha...Black Madeira is a scary, long mouth fish with shark teeth in Madeira. Oh..Oh..Thanks for sharing very helpful information about Black Madeira, Francisco.

Best,
Tam

was looking at portugese figs.. and found this thread. how did i miss this thread? amazing figs :) 

Pete,

Thank you, It is always nice reading your comments on Aurora's figs and be assured I will tell her !

Francisco

Those are beautiful figs, this is a great thread with a lot of great info, thanks for bringing it back up. Francisco I can't wait to see what other fig pictures you have for us this year, you always have some of the best photos of figs. 

that black madeira looks like hairtail fish i used to eat in korea. lot of bone, and not much to eat, but taste really good.. if marinated and stewed. bit on the fishy side on smell. sea provide some much for the table. it's very concerning over fishing and pollution are so much issue on world seafood supply.