View Full Version : How long does it take for Blue Java fruit to ripen?
cheson74
01-15-2013, 06:47 PM
This bunch is 5 months old. I've always heard general rule of thumb is 6 months.
It's my first bunch and once I hack down the fruit, I'm digging up the whole mat.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=51973&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=51973)
robguz24
01-15-2013, 08:09 PM
I usually try to wait until some start to turn yellow which I'd think would be any day now. DBs and Williams always seem to be 6 months, but the Ice Creams I've had have been earlier, like 4.5 months or a bit longer. I'm sure they'd be fine if you cut them now. That's a bigger bunch of Ice Creams than I've ever gotten. They look great!
amantedelenguaje
01-15-2013, 08:48 PM
Out of curiosity, why are you removing the mat? Do you not like ice cream bananas? Many of your bananas.org brethern are anxious to get a bonafide IC plant. You've got the real thing.
Julian
01-15-2013, 09:11 PM
Looks great. Do you have it staked up?
cheson74
01-15-2013, 09:51 PM
Yes I have it propped up with a 12 foot PVC pipe. I'm getting rid of it because its so robust. The mat needs a lot attention because its so vigorous. At last count, I've removed 14 pups.
Here in Hawaii, it'll grow to 14 feet plus with monster pstems. The pups aren't much smaller. On the mainland, they have a cold season where growth stops or the pstem dies. In Hawaii it'll grow year round. So long story short, it spreads too much and takes up a lot of space. Otherwise, it's a great plant that is very bountiful.
Julian
01-15-2013, 10:25 PM
That bunch looks great. I hope mine will be close to that size. I was going to pull mine right after my bunch, but I think I am going to wait for my other varieties to fruit. All of my other plants are really young. Best wishes
robguz24
01-15-2013, 10:56 PM
More than any other variety I have, all my Ice Creams fall over long before the bunch emerges if they aren't propped up somehow. The real thing is common here in Hawaii. In my limited experience trying to sell pups, very few want them and the fruit is hard to sell too. There are so many better tasting options for people here to find, both in terms of plants and fruit.
Julian
01-15-2013, 11:02 PM
Foodland has been carrying Ice cream for a few months now. $1.49 a pound. I also think it's just not good enough.
Abnshrek
01-16-2013, 12:29 AM
Makes me glad I have thee imposter.. :^)
So i other words you guys in Hawaii that has the true Blue Java would say that Nam Wah is better tasting?
Maybe I should stop looking for the real blue java then.
I love my Nam Wah but I thought Blue Java was even better or at least equal in taste.
Or are there other Nanas you feel are better tasting?
:waving:
cheson74
01-17-2013, 02:26 AM
Namwah is better. Plus we have access to tons of Brazilians which are my favorite.
robguz24
01-17-2013, 02:43 AM
So i other words you guys in Hawaii that has the true Blue Java would say that Nam Wah is better tasting?
Maybe I should stop looking for the real blue java then.
I love my Nam Wah but I thought Blue Java was even better or at least equal in taste.
Or are there other Nanas you feel are better tasting?
:waving:
There are quite a few I think are better tasting. Namwahs are one of the best, I think, though I like the tanginess of DBs, Mysore, and Raja Puri too, probably more so as ones to eat every day. My other favorite without any sub-acid taste is Gros Michel. The real Blue Java makes very interesting looking and beautiful fruit because it's blue. But it doesn't taste like Ice Cream. I usually force myself to eat one or two off a bunch, then freeze the rest. They make a great frozen banana in smoothies or as dairy free and sugar free "ice cream." Eaten out of hand, I particularly find the Blue Java texture off putting. They taste better when ripe, but then the stringy part of the peel sticks to the banana and makes it kind of gross.
If you want the novelty of a blue skinned banana, go for it. But don't seek it out for the fruit IMHO.
cheson74
01-19-2013, 07:34 PM
Just checked them again today and took a better photo with the digital camera. It looks like they should be ready any day now.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=51973&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=51973)
Kostas, I noticed some more sword pups coming up. There are some monster ones that are too big but there's a good size one and two small ones that I'll send to ya. So if one survives that long journey, you'll at least have the real Blue Java.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=51974&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=51974) http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=51975&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=51975) http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=51976&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=51976)
Kostas
01-19-2013, 07:55 PM
AWESOME!!!! Both the bunch and the news!!! Thank you very very much Cheson!!!!! :woohoonaner:
robguz24
01-19-2013, 09:30 PM
I don't think I've ever seen a better looking bunch of Ice Creams. They look huge!
cheson74
01-19-2013, 09:43 PM
Each finger is pretty fat. It must have loved all the fish emulsion and zoo dung lol
amantedelenguaje
01-19-2013, 11:27 PM
Thanks for all the info. I just bought a supposed TC ice cream. Now I hope it is mislabeled. Oh well.
cheson74
01-23-2013, 09:05 PM
I harvested the Blue Java today. :woohoonaner: It took about 6 months and the bunch weighed 52.3 lbs! Largest finger had a circumference of 7 1/8".
Kostas, I'll dig up your pups soon!
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=52015&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=52015)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=52016&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=52016)
crazy banana
01-23-2013, 10:41 PM
Thanks for all the info. I just bought a supposed TC ice cream. Now I hope it is mislabeled. Oh well.
Hahaha. Funny post.
Julian
01-24-2013, 01:39 AM
Thanks for all the info. I just bought a supposed TC ice cream. Now I hope it is mislabeled. Oh well.
I have been critical of Blue Java, but you really could do a lot worse. I have tasted some horrible bananas lately.
Kostas
01-24-2013, 03:10 AM
:woohoonaner: Thats a heavy bunch and quite big bananas!!!! Looking great!!! :woohoonaner:
Thank you very very much for the pups!!! :)
robguz24
01-24-2013, 12:59 PM
I have been critical of Blue Java, but you really could do a lot worse. I have tasted some horrible bananas lately.
I'm curious, what are some of the horrible ones you've tasted?
Julian
01-24-2013, 09:36 PM
I bought a few from this Korean store and the sign said that it was apple banana. It tasted horrible. It was kind of gummy and way too sweet with no acidity at all. I could not even swallow the second bite. That bad. The other was a lady finger that I bought from this mom and pop store. the lady called it lady finger. It was a smaller banana, very sweet and not much better. I would take store bought cavendish over those two any day. Ice creams are good, just not DB good. What really gets me is how easily they fall over. I see some sabas at about 20 feet, holding up 75 pound bunches in those 50 mph gusts that we had a few weeks ago.
cheson74
01-27-2013, 03:05 PM
I ate several of the ice creams and these were quite delicious! My previous experiencevwith them were from Foodland. Those were ok but very forgettable.
I think these taste much better because they were fully developed on the plant vs Foodland's being harvested early.
Ice Creams aren't quite as good as DB's and Namwahs but better than Cavendish types.
Julian
01-27-2013, 04:24 PM
I ate several of the ice creams and these were quite delicious! My previous experiencevwith them were from Foodland. Those were ok but very forgettable.
I think these taste much better because they were fully developed on the plant vs Foodland's being harvested early.
Ice Creams aren't quite as good as DB's and Namwahs but better than Cavendish types.
Great to hear. I only had the ones from Foodland also. They arrive at Foodland very green... Even those tasted better than Cavendish. Enjoy your bounty.:0517:
DancingWind
06-14-2014, 08:54 PM
Hi cheson74! I am so impressed with all your hard work you have done to make your place look like a living paradise! I recently came from Oahu and brought some seeds from there to start my own trees and plants. God bless Hawaii! I was so happy! Now looking at your pictures of the new Ice Cream grows I got upset... My Ice Cream is almost 2 years old and fruiting first time now, but it doesn't look blue like yours!.. ??? I am in Arizona, 40 mls west of Phoenix, zone 9b, so fruiting bananas here are not everyday thing. Is it a wrong banana or too much sun and heat?.. I never had bananas in my life. I got 9 varieties of fruiting bananas, and three of them the 2 year old ones are fruiting first time: Ice Cream, Giant Cavendish and Apple. My place is young, we moved here 3 years ago, it was bare land here before. I started my orchard and garden of all tropical fruits I could find or start myself, which will do good and ok here in the sand and desert climate. I always wanted to live in a paradise and have my own fruits and veggies, tastier then the store ones.
crazy banana
06-14-2014, 10:03 PM
Hi cheson74! I am so impressed with all your hard work you have done to make your place look like a living paradise! I recently came from Oahu and brought some seeds from there to start my own trees and plants. God bless Hawaii! I was so happy! Now looking at your pictures of the new Ice Cream grows I got upset... My Ice Cream is almost 2 years old and fruiting first time now, but it doesn't look blue like yours!.. ??? I am in Arizona, 40 mls west of Phoenix, zone 9b, so fruiting bananas here are not everyday thing. Is it a wrong banana or too much sun and heat?.. I never had bananas in my life. I got 9 varieties of fruiting bananas, and three of them the 2 year old ones are fruiting first time: Ice Cream, Giant Cavendish and Apple. My place is young, we moved here 3 years ago, it was bare land here before. I started my orchard and garden of all tropical fruits I could find or start myself, which will do good and ok here in the sand and desert climate. I always wanted to live in a paradise and have my own fruits and veggies, tastier then the store ones.
I am not Cheson, but your plants and fruits look beautiful and are most likely Namwah . Where did you get it? It is not easy to find the "real" Ice Cream/Blue Java outside of Hawaii.
mswillis5
06-22-2014, 07:41 PM
Hi cheson74! I am so impressed with all your hard work you have done to make your place look like a living paradise! I recently came from Oahu and brought some seeds from there to start my own trees and plants. God bless Hawaii! I was so happy! Now looking at your pictures of the new Ice Cream grows I got upset... My Ice Cream is almost 2 years old and fruiting first time now, but it doesn't look blue like yours!.. ??? I am in Arizona, 40 mls west of Phoenix, zone 9b, so fruiting bananas here are not everyday thing. Is it a wrong banana or too much sun and heat?.. I never had bananas in my life. I got 9 varieties of fruiting bananas, and three of them the 2 year old ones are fruiting first time: Ice Cream, Giant Cavendish and Apple. My place is young, we moved here 3 years ago, it was bare land here before. I started my orchard and garden of all tropical fruits I could find or start myself, which will do good and ok here in the sand and desert climate. I always wanted to live in a paradise and have my own fruits and veggies, tastier then the store ones.
Those bananas do look great. Did you get them as TC or as pups? I am not too far from you and bought TC Ice Cream in January. What other varieties do you have?
DancingWind
06-27-2014, 05:57 PM
Those bananas do look great. Did you get them as TC or as pups? I am not too far from you and bought TC Ice Cream in January. What other varieties do you have?
Thank you for reply. I got my bananas from different places all over the Internet, they were real babies. No I never tried to grow bananas from seeds, I heard they never fruit. I also have Giant Cavendish fruiting now, Dwarf Cavendish, Apple fruiting now, Raja Puri, Thousand Fingers,Goldfinger, Mysore and Red Maurelii as ornamental. Is your Ice Cream real Blue Java?
DancingWind
06-27-2014, 05:58 PM
I am not Cheson, but your plants and fruits look beautiful and are most likely Namwah . Where did you get it? It is not easy to find the "real" Ice Cream/Blue Java outside of Hawaii.
Do you have real Ice Cream?
mswillis5
06-27-2014, 06:00 PM
Thank you for reply. I got my bananas from different places all over the Internet, they were real babies. No I never tried to grow bananas from seeds, I heard they never fruit. I also have Giant Cavendish fruiting now, Dwarf Cavendish, Apple fruiting now, Raja Puri, Thousand Fingers,Goldfinger, Mysore and Red Maurelii as ornamental. Is your Ice Cream real Blue Java?
I am certain that I probably have a namwah variety and not true blue java.
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