Figs
 

I've always been a fan of preserved figs (whether they were used in jams, baked goods, or candies), but I had never actually tasted a fresh one until a few days ago. When I saw packages of them for sale at a local supermarket, I decided to give them a try. The fruits looked ripe and juicy enough, and they were practically begging to be eaten. Well, when I actually ate a few, I was kinda disappointed. They didn't taste "sweet" per se; I found the taste of fresh figs to be akin to that of water. I asked my mom how to assess their ripeness and, from what she told me, they were perfectly ripe, but I didn't detect any sweetness from them, as in other fresh fruits. Then again, it could be due to the fact that the only figs I've ever eaten were preserved and sweetened.

Mind you, these were Turkey Brown figs. I've been doing a little research and have come across other cultivars, like Celeste and Black Mission, which are allegedly sweeter. What I'd like to know is if there are actually online retailers that sell these fruits (and other tropical fruits, since there are a bunch out there that I'd love to try but are not locally available). Given my lack of space and shady, north-facing conditions, I don't think growing my own figs would be a viable option. I think I'll wait on that thought until I buy my own house. :)

I have a couple of large fig trees. Both Celeste and Brown Turkey. I do not have figs at the moment I did a couple of months, ago...but I'd send you some? I hate to see them go to waste. I can only eat so many.
I think if you had a patio you could grow them. They would fruit. If you go to the nurseries you will see them in containers with fruit at a very young age. They don't have to be very big.

Bees love them when they are over-ripe and either on the tree or laying on the ground.

I saw figs in a paint bucket as a pot bearing fruit in NYC.

There are many different varieties of figs. Degrees of sweetness, flavor, thickness of skin, color and so on.

Figs are one of those fruits that lose their quality very fast after picking (unless preserved) so I'd be willing to bet that the figs you bought at the store didn't have as much flavor as a fig picked right off the tree. They do have a less rich taste than preserved figs, almost too sweet to register as sweet, at least that's what my tongue told me. Everyone is different though. ;)

And figs are really easy in containers and can fruit when quite small. I'm not sure, but you might even be able to manage it in your shady northern exposure. You are in Florida, after all. Shade there is much brighter than shade in more northern latitudes.

I've purchased figs before, both the dark purple and green. Both have been pretty good. When I bring them home I usually leave them out on a counter in the kitchen and then check daily to see if they soften up a little. Then we enjoy.

But I have to agree with above, that nothing compares to a freshly picked fig from a tree. I have memories of picking a big mission fig from a tree in Italy quite some time ago. It almost melts in your mouth with all the sweetness.....:drool::drool:

I just saw a fig tree on Bergen street in Brooklyn NY. Had some figs on its branches, and it is a narrow and very shaded street, most of the time.

Anyway I am from Italy, when I was a kid I always are fresh figs and I have to say they used to taste a lot better than what I had in the USA. I used to like the smaller ones with the dark skin, but the large, softer, green skinned ones are more common.

Also Fig trees smell great.