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austinl01
01-27-2008, 05:36 PM
Does anyone know what type those mini bananas are that the grocery stores have recently started carrying?

I wonder why people would want to buy more expensive mini bananas instead of the full size.

CookieCows
01-27-2008, 05:58 PM
Cause they're cute! :ha:

mskitty38583
01-27-2008, 06:18 PM
they have a sweeter taste and they have a full flavor. i love them they are so good.

Lagniappe
01-27-2008, 06:20 PM
http://www.bananas.org/showthread.php?p=24308&highlight=dole#post24308
This is a link to MrsKitty's thread on the subject of the smaller bananas .

bigdog
01-27-2008, 07:11 PM
Austin, they are Pisang Mas if they are the Chiquita brand.

austinl01
01-27-2008, 07:26 PM
Thanks, guys. Very interesting. I wish they'd carry other types of edible bananas like ice cream. I've never had a chance to try one before.

Yes, they're cute too! LOL.

austinl01
01-27-2008, 07:35 PM
Here's a link for more info about these banana minis.

Banana Minis (http://www.freshplaza.com/news_detail.asp?id=10895)

http://www.freshplaza.com/2007/1112/chiquita.jpg

NanaNut2
01-27-2008, 08:14 PM
I bought some delightful mini's from Dole called Ecuador Mini's. The reason, I have to limit my potassium intake and usually only eat a half a banana a day. As I bought them, I thought what a great idea for young children, its the perfect size. So, there's a couple of reasons folks would buy them. And the novelty ... lol. Yum, they are good. Are these the same variety as the Chiquita Mini's?
NanaNut2

Taylor
01-27-2008, 08:34 PM
My grandma only eats half of a banana and leaves the other half laying out...
Thats why in her case, plus fruit flies get them if you can't eat a whole one.

NanaNut2
01-27-2008, 08:46 PM
Funny thing about getting older. All systems are more sensative. Half is perfect. You'll see some day ... lol. A hint for your grandma Taylor, I always cut the banana in half while in the skin, then seal the cut end with saran wrap and pop it in the fridge. It's ready for the next day.
NanaNut2

Taylor
01-27-2008, 08:48 PM
Thats a good tip... she peels it half way and then breaks it off, leaving that one end open.

STEELVIPER
01-27-2008, 08:50 PM
The ones we get out here have an apple taste to them. So i would think they are a type of apple banana. Very sweet and tasty. :nanabath:

mskitty38583
01-28-2008, 12:06 AM
this my mom sent to me. not like she thinks i like nanas or anything.:woohoonaner:



Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little "stringy things" off of it. That's how the primates do it

Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

austinl01
07-29-2008, 09:08 PM
I just tried some minis from Dole. Wow, are they great! So much better than the regular cavendish types. I can't wait to try other bananas especially the ones I'm growing--nothing like homegrown produce! :)

Dean W.
07-29-2008, 09:33 PM
Well, what are the small red ones? I've seen those sold at the stores.

fishman0422
07-29-2008, 10:17 PM
I don't think I've seen the pisang mas yet. I work in a grocery store and the little bananas that I've seen for years they call nino bananas. I'm pretty sure that they're not pisang mas, is anyone familiar with those? Dean- I've seen those little red ones from time to time too, they're a dark red right?
Now something I've been asking myself since growing bananas, and realizing there are SO MANY types and austinl01 just answered. The regular everyday common banana is a cavendish?

mskitty38583
07-29-2008, 10:22 PM
they used to be gran nain till they got dieased. i think they are cavadish. i love the little nana minis they taste so much better then the bigger ones. cant wait to try a homegrown one.

Dean W.
07-29-2008, 10:25 PM
Yes, Fishman they are the dark red ones.

chong
07-29-2008, 10:27 PM
I just tried some minis from Dole. Wow, are they great! So much better than the regular cavendish types. I can't wait to try other bananas especially the ones I'm growing--nothing like homegrown produce! :)

Those are Pisang Mas bananas. And you know what else? According to some sources, and I posted a link to them here, Pisang Mas is in the same group as Sucrier, and "Viente Cohol"! If I were you, I'd get on a plane and go to Homestead, FL and demand your VC from Going Bananas! Right Now! LOL!

Yes they are delicious and have that custard texture and flavor.

austinl01
07-29-2008, 11:02 PM
Hey, Chong. That's awesome that V. Cohol and Pisang Mas are probably related! I hope V. Cohol has excellent flavor; according to the sources I've seen, they say it does!

I got my V. Cohol early this spring as an 8 inch pup from Going Bananas. It's now growing very rapidly and has a pseudostem height of around 3 feet. It's amazing how bananas grow slowly until some equilibrium point is reached and then they grow very, very rapidly. My V. Cohol has reached that point! I'll try to get pics soon.

chong
07-29-2008, 11:10 PM
Geeez Louise! Austin,
Looks like you've already gotten on a plane and demanded your plant from GB! According to the sources that I posted here, VC is the same as Pisang Mas. VC is the native name in the Philippines, while PM is Indonesian.

austinl01
07-30-2008, 10:23 AM
Geeez Louise! Austin,
Looks like you've already gotten on a plane and demanded your plant from GB! According to the sources that I posted here, VC is the same as Pisang Mas. VC is the native name in the Philippines, while PM is Indonesian.

LOL. It's awesome! Yeah, I ordered mine back in January right after the article by Dr. Richard Wallce in Southeastern Palms was published. I knew I just had to try this variety because of the short time to flowering to fruiting to ripening. I knew this banana would have real potential. I hope we all find it is the best one for our cooler zones. Time will tell. :goteam:

Gabe15
07-30-2008, 10:33 AM
Geeez Louise! Austin,
Looks like you've already gotten on a plane and demanded your plant from GB! According to the sources that I posted here, VC is the same as Pisang Mas. VC is the native name in the Philippines, while PM is Indonesian.

I can't find the source you posted, but I'd like to see it. According to the info I have, 'Pisang Mas' is the common 'Sucrier' (this is often the variety called 'Ladyfinger', though there are others that go by the same name), and 'Veinte Cohol' is different, in its own subgroup of (AA).

Richard
07-30-2008, 11:19 AM
Some authors in the Musa literature state that Pisang Mas is a synonym for the Sucrier (sugar bowl) subgroup with genetics "AA".
Two of the listed cultivars are:
Kluai Khai
Nino
Other cultivars proported to be type "AA" (but not necessarily Sucrier) are:
Berangan
Kluai Chak Nuan
Kluai Hom Khek
Kluai Hom Moenang
Kluai Ngaw
Masak
Rose
Senorita
Tango
Tuu Gia

Any corrections someone might have are definitely welcome. :)

Bananaman88
07-30-2008, 12:09 PM
I recently purchased some of the mini bananas sold by Dole from Ecuador. They never turned yellow. They remained half green, half black. I finally tried to peel one only to find them very difficult to peel. The flesh had a nice taste, though it seemed a little on the dry side and the center of the flesh was sort of hard, though still edible. I don't know if they weren't handled properly or what. Lorax advised me that they were probably what they call Oritos in Ecuador. She said they are harvested green like other bananas and then gassed here in the U.S. to ripen them. I'd like to get a hold of some that have been ripened properly because I really think they'd be great. Is this the same as 'Nino'? I saw that listed above.

saltydad
07-30-2008, 01:47 PM
Discussing Cavendish bananas brings a stupid question up for me. I received some pups from a friend in Florida at the beginning of the summer. I posted a pic of the parent, as my friend had no idea of the ID, and the consensus was it was a Cavendish (see below). The leaves are green, even when small. The Dwarf Cavendish, on the other hand, has red streaks in the leaves that diminish as the plant gets older/bigger. Yet they are related?

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=9169&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=9169&ppuser=1040)

chong
07-30-2008, 05:03 PM
I recently purchased some of the mini bananas sold by Dole from Ecuador. They never turned yellow. They remained half green, half black. I finally tried to peel one only to find them very difficult to peel. The flesh had a nice taste, though it seemed a little on the dry side and the center of the flesh was sort of hard, though still edible. I don't know if they weren't handled properly or what. Lorax advised me that they were probably what they call Oritos in Ecuador. She said they are harvested green like other bananas and then gassed here in the U.S. to ripen them. I'd like to get a hold of some that have been ripened properly because I really think they'd be great. Is this the same as 'Nino'? I saw that listed above.

Whatever banana you get that's ultra-young green will not ripen properly regardless of what you do to it. The best you can do with them is to peel them when they are still firm with a peeler/knife, slice them thinly, and fry them for chips.

Indeed, Dole baby bananas are Oritos, Lady Finger, or Manzano. Here's a link:
Dole Baby: Dole | Products (http://www.dole.com/Products/Products_Detail.jsp?CatGroupID=1&ID=240)
(Orito, Lady Finger, Manzano)

Chiquita is Pisang Mas. Notice the similarity of the fruits with Viente Cohol, especially, the ends do not have a pronounced bottle-necking of the fruit tips:
Chiquita Minis: Baby bananas are hitting are hitting U.S. markets - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_401397.html)

Pisang Mas: Pisang Mas - ..:: Zul + Sue = Darwisy ::.. - Fotopages.com (http://zulkml.fotopages.com/?entry=590037)

Viente Cohol: Tropical Fruit Photography Picture Archive-Banana (http://trec.ifas.ufl.edu/tfphotos/022401.HTM)

Descriptions of the various families of baby bananas and others are discussed in the following attachment.

Bananaman88
07-31-2008, 06:23 AM
The one's I bought (Dole) were definitely skinnier than the Viente Cohols. I'm hoping to get an Orito or Manzano at some point. Also, I'm supposed to be getting a Nino from a member here. I had seen the Dole site before but wasn't sure how accurate it was. Thanks for the info.

TracyWV
07-31-2008, 11:21 AM
A while back I ran across this page done by a banana label collector. (http://www.geocities.com/ferrobanana/plu.htm) It details the different PLU numbers on banana labels.

His main page is here (http://www.geocities.com/ferrobanana/).

austinl01
07-31-2008, 01:55 PM
A while back I ran across this page done by a banana label collector. (http://www.geocities.com/ferrobanana/plu.htm) It details the different PLU numbers on banana labels.

His main page is here (http://www.geocities.com/ferrobanana/).

Awesome link! I would have never guessed that so many labels have been used for bananas. I really enjoyed viewing the different ways of transporting the bananas from the plantations too. Those banana trains are neat! :nanerwaveytrain:

Tropicallvr
07-31-2008, 06:32 PM
Is VC alone in that it produces quickly, or do the other small bananas do it too? If they all have a quick fruiting time that would be nice, since I'm on the hunt for some of those mini ones around here.

chong
07-31-2008, 06:57 PM
Is VC alone in that it produces quickly, or do the other small bananas do it too? If they all have a quick fruiting time that would be nice, since I'm on the hunt for some of those mini ones around here.

No, Seņorita is even quicker under Philippine conditions. 5-6 months from pup to fruit. VC, I believe, takes another 1-2 months. Nevertheless, both will reportedly fruit within a year from pup.

Richard
07-31-2008, 07:19 PM
No, Seņorita is even quicker under Philippine conditions. 5-6 months from pup to fruit. VC, I believe, takes another 1-2 months. Nevertheless, both will reportedly fruit within a year from pup.

Isn't Seņorita's nickname "Forty Days", for its fast maturation from flower to fruit?

chong
07-31-2008, 07:45 PM
Isn't Seņorita's nickname "Forty Days", for its fast maturation from flower to fruit?

That is the English translation of it's nickname - Quarenta dias. And yes, the fruits develop and ripen rather quickly. So much so, that they are sold by the bunch, rather than by the hand. Shelf life is very short compared to the other commercial bananas in the Philippines.

fishman0422
08-01-2008, 12:05 AM
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=9169&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=9169&ppuser=1040)

Hey Salty! Thats looks like one nice nana!!

Richard
11-11-2008, 08:40 PM
A while back I ran across this page done by a banana label collector. (http://www.geocities.com/ferrobanana/plu.htm) It details the different PLU numbers on banana labels.

Today I purchased a bunch "Grateful Harvest" 94011's, apparently some organically certified cavendish variety.

Richard
08-13-2009, 02:32 PM
A while back I ran across this page done by a banana label collector. (http://www.banana-label.net/) It details the different PLU numbers on banana labels.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=21148&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=21148)

Ecuador strikes again!
.

ewitte
08-13-2009, 02:53 PM
I purchased some red ones that were hard for 2 weeks. They tasted good after that.

Bananaman88
08-13-2009, 03:05 PM
Yeah, the red one's are great once you let them ripen a bit. Beth said they are 'Lacatan's- they go by several other names as well.

Bob
08-13-2009, 03:15 PM
I recently purchased some of the mini bananas sold by Dole from Ecuador. They never turned yellow. They remained half green, half black. I finally tried to peel one only to find them very difficult to peel. The flesh had a nice taste, though it seemed a little on the dry side and the center of the flesh was sort of hard, though still edible. I don't know if they weren't handled properly or what. Lorax advised me that they were probably what they call Oritos in Ecuador. She said they are harvested green like other bananas and then gassed here in the U.S. to ripen them. I'd like to get a hold of some that have been ripened properly because I really think they'd be great. Is this the same as 'Nino'? I saw that listed above.

Brent I must have missed this when you posted. I had a very similar experience and they were just listed as "organic" bananas from I believe Bonita in Ecuador. Looking at their web site I believe they are nino.

The Asian market I go to on weekends had some manzano for the first time last Saturday. They were still tinged with a bit of green and tasted so that day(couldn't wait), funny but less than a week later they're over ripe and starting to split on their own. It's been the hottest week of the summer here with mid 90's (till today) and very , very humid which may be part of the cause. In any case there seems to be a small window of opportunity to consume them at their best.

chong
08-13-2009, 04:03 PM
Yeah, the red one's are great once you let them ripen a bit. Beth said they are 'Lacatan's- they go by several other names as well.

Red bananas are called Morado (AAA Genome) internationally. In parts of Latin America, they are sometimes called "Guineo Montecristi". Lacatan (AA Genome) is completely different variety. Its fruit starts out green and ripens yellow for one thing, while the Red Banana starts out Maroon then ripens to light Maroon with some Yellow shades..

ewitte
08-13-2009, 05:49 PM
with mid 90's (till today) and very , very humid

In other words a cool front? Lol I was hot up until I left now I'm cold down here in South America. Something in the middle would be nice even ~70-80F.

Bob
08-13-2009, 06:04 PM
Yeah I guess perspective is everything. Back when I posted the pic of me and the dogs in the snow everyone had a barefooted comment . It was in the mid 40's and right before I was out hunting all day in 4 below..........it's all in the head.

Simply Bananas
08-13-2009, 07:31 PM
Awesome link! I would have never guessed that so many labels have been used for bananas. I really enjoyed viewing the different ways of transporting the bananas from the plantations too. Those banana trains are neat! :nanerwaveytrain:

This is a great link! I'm sure there is enough info in there for one or more stories for BQ.

ewitte
08-13-2009, 07:50 PM
It was in the mid 40's and right before I was out hunting all day in 4 below..........it's all in the head.

Its cold enough when there is no hot running water and your taking a shower ;) They have something connected to the electricity but it always blows the fuse which is much simpler than what we have in the US. When it goes out I'm usually all soaped up and was about to wash it off.

Bob
08-13-2009, 08:24 PM
Bet you're not wasting water!:ha:

ewitte
08-13-2009, 08:30 PM
I'm paying to put tiny natural gas water heaters in before my next trip hehe. You almost do not have to figure out installation costs things like that are so cheap maybe $15-20 each.

Magilla Gorilla
08-13-2009, 10:49 PM
So who has Pisang Mas or nino for sale or trade?

CValentine
08-14-2009, 06:58 AM
http://i668.photobucket.com/albums/vv49/valentines12/0812091955.jpg
Found these along with my Hua Moa plantains...the kids were chirping like baby birds for these little bananas!!!

Hubby found the banana train link in interesting & wonders if there has been any effort to P&R any of the old loco's?
Are there any manuals & have they just fallen to disuse due to lack of maintenace?
Have the aerial movement systems made them obsolete?

Awesome thread! :) ~Cheryl