Loaf 1 of 3. The other two are vacuum-sealed in the freezer.
they didn’t last long
They never do!
When one of the fingers has mostly turned yellow, harvest the entire bunch.
perfect. that’s exactly what I needed to know.
yeah you can clearly see the yellow ones…about how long did yours take from when they flowered to harvest? I know we’re comparing different varieties but I’m just trying to get a ballpark idea.
In locations where temperatures drop below 50°F during any part of the year, ripening times depend more on local weather from flower to harvest than cultivar. I’ve had ripening times stretch from 3 months to 7 months on the same cultivar in the same location in different years.
Good information. Wish I could remember when these flowered…could probably go back in my google photos and find out…
As far as temps go, the last time we were below 50 was probably early March. and we won’t see those temps again for at least another 3 months. Based on that it seems there will be more than sufficient time for ripening…
Banana plants that experience sustained temperatures below 50°F will behave differently than those grown in the strict tropics. It’s all part of the fun!
That’s something I never considered…I guess being in a zone where you can grow a wide variety of fruits poses unique challenges this being one of them…I’d imagine sustained temps below 50 would cause ripening times to be extended…
During our winter and prior to fruiting the growth slows down a lot- e.g., a new leaf a month vs. a new leaf a week. How fast they emerge from this depends on Spring weather each year. Plus, a sustained trip into the 60°s in the early summer for a single day can slow growth again for a week. If there is fruit at this point then ripening might slow too – or not
so basically it’s a crap shoot…I’m just excited because this is the first time that mine have flowered well in advance of winter so there is plenty of time for ripening…
Figured this bunch was ready to pick…couldn’t believe how heavy these are…Has to weigh close to 25 or 30 lbs…Let the garage ripening begin…
Those are fat! Almost like plantains
There are also skinny plantains.
About a week ago when I was contemplating cutting them down I accidentally cut into one…When I cut them down yesterday I noticed one was almost completely ripe so I tasted it…still needed some ripening, but they’re definitely bananas…odd shaped ones that’s for sure.
Across all the cultivars of non-plantain bananas, yours are normal shape and the chiquita bananas in the store are not.
As long as they taste good I don’t care what they look like…