Tasting the Natalina Fig Main Crop 2018

Natalina Fig Main Crop
Picked 9/19/18
2 Crops

I've been very happy with this little workhorse. It ripens brebas and maincrops reliably every year so far. Mine came from Harvey.

At first sight it's an unimpressive fig. Small, standard color, and just above average in flavor and sweetness.

However modest it maybe, it makes up for it in reliability. Brebas and Main crops are almost exactly the same. I bet if we didn't have winters this thing would just fruit year round.

I will eventually put this fig in ground because of that reliability. It ripens before chicago hardy yet gives you two crops unlike chicago hardy. It even taste better than chicago hardy. So if you like chicago hardy you'll love this fig.

This fig has a place in my home.

Mislabeled Black Maderia, Socorro Black, Golden Riverside, Vincenzo Main, Natalina Main

Natalina (9/19/18) 

Main Crop

Taste: 7

Sweetness: 7.5

Size: 2 (15.1  grams)

Productivity: 2

Total = 18.5

3rd Fig Breba to Ripen is...

7/8/18

The Natalina Fig. This was a cutting started back in 2016. It's turning out to be a real winner for this area. Reliable brebas and a main crop that isn't too far behind.

I did not do a full taste test with photos for the 1st fig that I tasted due to time but I will on the next one.

I was surprised by the quality of this fig. It's like a mini smith in flavor. Very rich berry tones and buttery.

 

Natalina: Breba (7/7/18) - 2yr old plant

Breba Only

Taste: 7.5

Sweetness: 6.5

Size: 2 (12 grams)

Productivity: 3

Total = 19

"The Fig Thief" + Tasting Natalina, Sugar 12, Sals Corleone, Sicily, and Mavra Sika Main Crop

"The Fig Thief" + Tasting Sals Corleone, Sicily, Sugar 12,  Mavra Sika Main Crop and Natalina,

I love this time of year so many figs are going through their ripening stage. Below are the figs that I had a chance to taste this week.

Natalina (9/10/17) 2yr old tree
One Crop

Taste: 7.5
Sweetness: 7.5 

Size: 3  (23.3 grams)

Productivity: 2

Total = 20

This is a good fig. Good figs to me usually fall into the 7/10 range. I got this fig on 9/2016 from RJP164 on Ebay. The one in the video I picked too early. However I let the 2nd ripen thoroughly and it was spectacular.

Sugar 12  (9/10/17) 1.5yr old tree
One Crop

Taste: 5
Sweetness: 4.5

Size:  3 (21.2 grams)

Productivity: 1

Total =  9.5

The sugar 12 fig is no longer shipped from Reeds nursery is what I've been told since it shut down. I got some cuttings from my buddy Vinny almost 2yrs ago. It's an interesting fig. I thought it would be like a celeste flavored fig but it was quite different. I let this guy ripen to the point where it fell of with the slightest touch.

However it was not very sweet, the texture was a bit too squishy for my liking, I hope it gets better with age.

  

Sals Corleone (9/10/17) 2yr old tree **?
One Crop

Taste: 7
Sweetness: 6.5

Size:  1  (8.3 grams)

Productivity: 2

Total = 16.5

The cuttings were purchased from Jusftigs back in 2015.

I kinda have doubts that this fig is a Sals Corleone. It's much too small. So if you have Sals feel free to let me know. And if you have a correct Sals to spare I'd love to get one that is true. 

Regardless, as a fig its was quite tasty. Small but packs good sweetness and flavor.

Sicily (9/10/17) 2yr old tree
One Crop

Taste: 8
Sweetness: 7.5

Size:  2 (18.3 grams)

Productivity: 3

Total =  20.5

Acquired from Marcus back in August 2015. Another good Italian fig! Very tasty! Perfect sweetness strawberry jam consistency! Keeper for me.

Read more about it here

http://seattlegardenfruit.blogspot.com/2015/08/palermo-sicliy-black-fig-with-bit-of.html

Mavra Sika Main Crop   (9/12/17) 3yr old tree

Two Crops

Taste: 7
Sweetness: 7.5

Size: 2  (19.8 grams)

Productivity: 1

Total = 17.5

Originally purchased from Plant Creator on 10/2016.  This tree is experiencing some bad fig rust. Yet it still produces figs. They are marred and ugly but still very good. Much better than the breba crop for sure. 

I had fun making this next video with my son (even though he didn't really know he was going to be a star on it). I call it "The fig Thief".