Fig of the Week. #9 Smith fig

Smith Fig. 

Hardiness: Untested outdoors. I bring it in for the winter
Type: Bifere
Fruit Ripens: July and Sept
Fruit Color: Teal green/purple and red interior
Taste: One of the very best, very rich, perfectly sweet and has a bit of umami
Fruit Weight: 35grams
Leaf Structure: 3 large lobes and cankles
Note: This is a difficult one to root. It takes 4 to 6 weeks to root. The longer the cutting the better for rooting. I've had whole trays fail while other varieties cut the same time rooted successfully.

Considered the best fig of the south, the Smith fig is a 100yr old heirloom Louisiana variety that came out of the well respected Becnel Nursery. I tend to agree this so far is my top tasting fig.

It's a relatively small fig. Beautiful color! Yellowish green with purple marks. The flesh tastes as buttery as it looks! It's not overly sweet which I prefer but that mouth feel and umami haunts you a for a couple of days. I love this fig! Perfectly sweet with slight strawberry tones. The flesh on this fig has a taste of it's own, which complements the berry tones.

The fig grows well in humid environments and has a tight eye which is resistant to splitting. For Seattle weather, I would shuffle this fig or keep it a heated greenhouse in the winter.

Check out the amount of dew on this fig. It looks like it's been dipped in water and there is no sign of splitting what so ever.

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Fig Addiction