Seattle Garden & Fruit Adventures: The Science behind figs ripening and taste review of the LSU Tiger & Genovese Nero

The Science behind figs ripening and taste review of the LSU Tiger & Genovese Nero

So after a tasting a sub par Genovese Nero from the greenhouse. I encountered the question. So do figs taste better in the sun or in the greenhouse?

Well in my research, I learned a few things that are crucial to understanding how figs and other fruits ripen.

The key ingredient is Ethylene Gas. Accidentally discovered by Dimitry Neljubow in 1901. He noticed that plants were being effected by vapors escaping from a gas main. Three decades later, researchers found that plants not only responded to ethylene, but they could produce their own, and production of the gas increased when the scientists cut (injured) the fruit with a knife.

Watch the video below for more detail.

I used a Genovese Nero as my test subject for the Greenhouse vs Sun ripened taste test.

Previous post of my Genovese Nero Taste test.
http://seattlegardenfruit.blogspot.com/2017/08/tasting-review-of-genovese-nero.html

Previous score:
Genovese Nero Breba (8/1/17)
Taste: 7
Sweetness: 6
Size: 6 (52.1 grams)
Productivity: 1
Total = 20

Well the answer to that question is a resounding yes! The comparison isn't even close. The fruit ripened ouside is sweeter and packs a lot more flavor.

New score:
Genovese Nero Breba (8/23/17)
Taste: 8.5
Sweetness: 8
Size: 6 (55 grams)
Productivity: 1
Total = 23.5

I also had the chance to taste the Calderwood unknown or also identified as the LSU Tiger. This was a spectacular fig! It tastes so sweet but retains a freshness about it, which made me like it more than the Gen nero. Watch the video for more detail.