Versatility of Brown Turkey

[Tom from England]

As more exciting varieties begin to ripen i find myself still reporting on my Brown Turkey. It seems that this tree alone has a variety of different flavour profiles depending on the time of year and weather conditions. Lately it has started producing much earlier than usual honey type figs, very large and sweet.

Thought I’d make a comparison with my breba and main crop BT from last year where this was an almost dark red berry fig!

Anyone else experience these extremes with BT or any other varieties?

[Figgerlickinggood]

Tom from England I bought 3 brown Turkey trees this year. 2 small ones and 1 large one. You’ve given me much to look forward to next year.

[Tom from England]

Good to hear, BT is one the best performing figs for our cool summers, and seems very adaptable. think there are a couple EBT types out there, but would be interesting to so how yours fair.

[Figgerlickinggood]

I have a Susser George fig inground. It’s a first year and already has 2 figs and setting more figlets as it grows taller. I’m told it is a English Brown Turkey type.

[Bry]

Nice looking fruit! It's nice also to see Brown Turkey being appreciated. I planted a Gene Vashon ( EBT type) last year and it seems like it's going to be very productive here in our cooler climate. Almost every node has set a fig, some double. We'll see I guess...

[BC BYRON]

I really wish everybody that has a brown turkey would identify theirs and when referring to it label it as such.

[figs and tropicals]

There really are so many different varieties covered by the label "brown turkey". I am wondering how the name came to be...was it a brown fig from turkey?? or named after a wild turkey?? does anyone know??

I got some cuttings that originated from LSU and the young trees set a few small figs...they were quite tasty for very first figs! I was surprised at the nice red pulp. I got quite a few cuttings as I was looking to create rootstock, but I always keep a few to grow out....did that with mission as well. The mission figs didn't taste nearly as good as the brown turkey. I have some very expensive varieties here, but I'm definitely not too snobby to enjoy those brown turkey figs. They should be even better next year!! Looking forward to them!

thanks for posting your pretty pics!

[Otis]

It gets to a point where you have to start enjoying the fruit and stop worrying too much about the type of BT, at least from my perspective lately. I probably have at least 3-4 'different' ones, but I think I've only tasted one so far that came from a neighbor's yard that I'm considering SBT and I really enjoy it. From its nice looking pink ostioles as a small fruit to its rich, sweet flavors when it ripens. Ir was the second variety I ever tried and still a favorite for me that I have multiple copies of. Are there better figs...of course, but for my climate its still a winner.

[Tom from England]

In the 1901 manuscript By Dr. Eisen of San Francisco, cal. He lists Brown Italy, Brown Naples, long Naples etc. as being synonymous with Brown Turkey. The Turkey part must be in the geographical sense. One thing is for sure the leaf illustration is exact to mine.

[acerpictum]

Several years ago I was looking for an answer why in translation into Russian BT is always a brown bird - "indeyka", and not "from the country of Turkey". In one article in English, the author argued that the first birds were brought to Britain not from North America, but from Turkey. Why they ended up there earlier than in England, history is silent. Then I thought that in the English language the context allows you to immediately and always understand what the speech is about - about the country, about the poultry or about cultivated variety figs.
BT was bought by me as "Karlikovyj" ("dwarfish") variety. Under this name, we sometimes distribute and grow the variety of Portuguese origin Karalheto (the name was creatively "adapted") and I was sure that I was buying it, but it turned out that the name "Karlikovyj" for some reason began to be used completely out of touch with reality, introducing misleading about the future size of the plant.
Today I picked the first breba out of 14 and was satisfied with the taste, although there was nothing else in the taste besides the pleasant sweetness. Weight 56 grams. Juicy.

[jessup42]

Thanks for the story of BT, birds & dwarf types

I grow a Lungo do portogallo a/k/a caralheto. Caralheto sounds familiar To your story

[acerpictum]

Versatility ... good characteristic Brown Turkey. In drought and heat conditions +32 .. + 35C the variety gave a breba with good taste and quite juicy. There is nothing to compare with, on other varieties only the main crop, but last year, as far as I remember, the taste was worse. This season is the third. But the main intrigue is the comparison of the main harvests of Brown Turkey and Violette de Bordeaux around the beginning of September. Gaudeamus!

[Tom from England]

Wow, have an almost yellow skin. My VDB is still young and had to be rescued lasted year from being waterlogged so only time will tell.
I got a few main crop BT last year and many are forming now after pinching for a second time, having said that it’s looking touch this year with the serious lack of sun we are getting in August!

[acerpictum]

Yes, the color is pleasant, they hang under the leaves in the depths of the crown. I want to let the next breba hang longer so that the fermentation process begins.