How do you pick em and keep em straight?

[eboone]

Last year I was able to keep my varieties pretty straight when picking them. By the time I got them indoors to share with my wife and compare the varieties, I still knew what they were. This year, maybe it is because I have more varieties or because I am now over 60, but I was struggling to recall which was which in a small bowl by the time I came inside.



So today I started using this. 30 figs of 20 varieties, I was a happy camper

I cut a bunch of papers to size, just have to pop a new paper in the top of the egg carton each day. I think I need a few more cartons.

How do you keep em straight?

[RegencyLass]

What a good idea! And a lovely selection you have there. Thanks for sharing!

[mountainfigs]

That's as good a system as I've seen. Great harvest. Worth poring over.

[cjmach1973]

Looks like the box of chocolates cheat sheet

[eboone]

That is actually part of the inspiration for my new method

[strudeldog]

If it's only a few of each I have tried these in a similar manner

[eboone]

I'm looking forward to having enough of each to use the coke case

[vanfigs]

That is nice!!. Too many varieties to remember, really a good problem I wish to have.

[fitzski]

Nice idea Ed and Phil. Maybe next year I'll have that problem.

[don_sanders]

That's awesome!

Rule is that you have to take pictures of all of the insides and provide ratings too though.

[cjmach1973]

Don't forget-flavor profiles also!

[cis4elk]

Great ideas, i agree with Don though- Where are the follow up pics? Just teasing us is cruel and unusual punishment.

I would just do multiple trips gathering about 3-4 varieties at a time and label them on paper towels. More steps is good for the ticker. Although I would have to threaten my family in hopes they don't eat them before I get back with more.

[eboone]

As requested...

I do not know if I am experienced enough or have a refined palate able to give good grades, this is only my 3^rd season of fig growing. But here is a rundown of these 20 varieties and a couple more I have had this year so far. Score out of 10 followed by description. Sorry no interior photos of these at this time.

Champagne - 7, very sweet and juicy but no other flavor. Small.
LSU Gold - 5, not ripe enough even though it fell off when touched lightly. Last year I got them riper than this first one and they were better, but not great.
O’Rourke- 8, sweet with a little extra flavor which I cannot describe.
Pied de Boeuff – this fig was half ripe, the other half of the fig looked very immature, ripe half tasted poor. Condit says it is a Smyrna type, while other growers in eastern US have reported getting a crop from it. Mine originated at Davis, so likely same that Condit had? Last year it dropped all of the figs, this year it dropped about a dozen before this one colored up, with only one remaining. This tree is history in my yard.
Unk Antonelli – 8, looks and tastes like a Mt Etna type.
MBvs – 8, first this year, flavor like the Mt Etnas
Salce – 8, sweet, has additional slight flavor I cannot describe.
Black Bethlehem – 8, tastes like Mt Etna varieties, leaf looks same
Letiza – 8, tastes like Mt Etna varieties, leaf looks same
Sal’s (Gene) – 8, tastes like Mt Etna varieties, leaf looks same, first on my in ground tree, color slightly lighter than Mt Etnas harvested so far this year
RdB – 9, wonderful when left to hang on tree long enough. My first season getting these. Glad I have a second plant that I plan to trial inground.
Old Brooklyn Italian – 8.5, not sure why this one seems bigger this year than my other Mt Etnas, but last year it was the smallest consistently. Taste of the first 2 this season was a notch above the other Mt Etnas so far
Nero 600m – 8, should have left it on tree another day or so in retrospect, but it really looked and felt ripe
Emerald Strawberry – 7, should have left it on tree another day or so on retrospect but it dropped off when touched. Last year it was my best light fig (but I did not have Adriatic (JH) then)
Unk SM3 – 8, this is an unknown given to me by anther grower described as being ‘like Celeste’; to me leaf and fruit are more like the Mt Etnas.
?Celeste – 8, given to me as a lost label plant thought to be Celeste, which I think it is. Because this plant got dried out a couple weeks ago it has been shedding leaves and some of the fruit has shriveled a bit – think of a soft dark fig raisin, very tasty.
Tuscan Dark - 8.5, when very ripe it is a sugar fig with a lighter center and a little extra flavor. I like these a lot.
Lattarola - 6, mine have not ripened this year as well as last, figs are dropping off tree at the slightest touch or with wind. Plant might have gotten a little too dry in heat 2 weeks ago
Bryant Dark - 8, tastes like Mt Etna varieties, leaf looks same. This one seems to make slightly bigger fruits last year and this than my Chicago Hardy or Sal’s, though the Old Brooklyn Italian listed above seems as big this season
Florea – 7.5, very sweet if left to hang and get extremely soft. Tree productive

Not pictured above, but also sampled already earlier this season
Adriatic (JH) – based on just single first fig it is the best fig I have tasted, 10/10. Glad I have a second plant that I planted inground this year as a trial.
Tiger – 8.5 or 9, has more flavor than just a simple ‘sugar’ fig.
Atreano and Atreano Gold(seem same to me leaf and fruit) – 6, not ripening well this year like a few of my other light figs, disappointed in it compared to last year. This plant did not get dried out as a couple other did, yet figs seem to want to fall off early, or at the slightest touch when looking ripe. Last year these were an 8, hoping for improvement as the season progresses.
LSU Purple – 6, may need to be riper but the first fig was dangling by a thread, will wait to see how the rest do
Chicago Hardy – 8, tasted like the other Mt Etnas
St Anthony – 8, not sure of the accuracy of this variety. Green fig with some dark shading, pink interior, will try to do fruit and leaf pics at a later time.

That's all for now

[Harborseal]

I protect mine with organza bags. When it's time to pick I write the name of the fig on some paper, tear that off and put it in the bag with the fig.

[Harborseal]

I've recently stopped doing this. It was taking way too much time and I was enjoying my figs less and less. I've switched to just eating them at the tree and enjoying them more.

[vito12831]

Hi Ed. That's a great Idea, and a beautiful selection of figs, enjoy.
Vito