Quote:
Originally Posted by pitangadiego
Start at the top. If nothing else, it is easier.
You need to know that the bananas are "mature" - meaning that they are gestationally mature and just need the final ripening process (sort of like having a wife who is full term with her pregnancy but hasn't delivered, yet). Then they will ripen on your counter.
To do this you need to estimate their maturity. For me that is generally 6 monsth after first hand of bananas appears, but each variety can be different. Your climate also matter a lot. Bananas the fruited in April are mature about October, but may not "ripen" till April or may when the weather is warm again. Heat triggers ripening, and without it, mature bananas can "sit" for many months, but they would ripen if removed from the bunch and placed in a warm place, such as your counter.
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Timely subject. I just found that the top hand of a bunch is almost totally yellow. The second hand is mixed yellow and green and the bottom one is all green. I harvested the top (9 lbs) hand with 14 big fat fruit with tough skins. (had to cut them open with a knife.) They are perfectly ripe.
I'm now hoping to postpone ripening enough to be able to eat them all in time. (Got banana bread recipe, too).
I'm in Tampa, Florida, hot humid rainy summer, around 90s daytime temperature. I can leave them on the tree, or cut them all and bring them inside where it's air conditioned to around 80 degrees and dryer air. Cut them apart, or leave on the hand?
Other considerations, when bananas get ripe, they get raided in the night by rats and raccoons.
Any suggestions?