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Simply Bananas
02-10-2008, 12:51 PM
Here in Charleston I cut 4 bunches of Orinocos from my plants in early December(the day before the first frost). 2 Bunches were large and plumped while the other 2 were small and sharply angled. They were all left to 'hang' in my cool dark garage. The two plumped bunches were eaten by late January. The first small angled bunch was brought inside on Jan 25th. They were hard and green. This past Friday, I noticed some yellow on one. Today--Sunday Feb 10, I ate a ripe small orinoco. It tasted great! Not quite as sweet as the plumped ones, but quite good none the less and even had a better texture than the bigger ones.

I had an Orinoco that bloomed in March a few years ago and never had any leaves. The plant fell over and the tiny fruit turned yellow in July. The fruit were no bigger than a magic marker sharpie, but the one I tasted was sweet and pleasant, but not worth the effort.

So here is the question: Do all bananas ripen to edibility regardless of age and maturation? Has anyone else had a similar experience of ripening and eating fruit before it was full size?

Thanks.

bencelest
02-10-2008, 04:03 PM
Yes, I did with my California gold.And they tasted great but I left it with the pstem as one suggested it could mature on the tree and the green of the pstem is enough to sustain food but it was a long long wait. 9 months versus 6 months. I cut it even though it was not fully ripe.
I cut it in bunches and put a couple of apples inside the plastic bag to hasten the yellowing.

PAJ53
02-10-2008, 08:41 PM
The ones I cut before the hard freezes here in north Texas are ripening now the really ripe ones taste sweet? but it appears that if they would have had time to ripen naturally I would have had some seeds they have small seed in on of the bunches that are small and not mature these are from the ones that bloomed in September I din not think they were supposed to make seeds and this is the first time I have ever had two bloom at the same time in over ten years of growing --will up load a picture to my gallery Philip

Simply Bananas
02-20-2008, 12:05 PM
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y274/porkpi/SmallOR.jpg
I just ate one of these cut wayyyyyyyy back in early December. Again, Delicious, even for Orinocos. I swear the smaller ones are better. I have one more rack in the garage after these 3 are gone.

I really had no idea they had this much shelf life.

bencelest
02-20-2008, 12:12 PM
Are orinocos cooking or eating bananas?
I am about to plant one but I don't know what it is. And what about dwarf Brazilian?

MediaHound
02-20-2008, 12:33 PM
You can cook them with the respective recipe at the different stages of ripening, and you can also eat them raw when ripe.

momoese
02-20-2008, 12:47 PM
I've had Hawaiian Apples ripen when they were on the size of a construction pencil!

Simply Bananas
02-21-2008, 10:00 AM
I've had Hawaiian Apples ripen when they were on the size of a construction pencil!

Did you taste them?

momoese
02-21-2008, 02:17 PM
Did you taste them?

I sure did and they tasted ok, a little dry but they still had some flavor. They took quite a long time to ripen though. If memory serves me it was about a month that they were hanging on my fence when I noticed some yellow ones.

bananimal
02-23-2008, 01:09 PM
I got a hand of Dwf Brazilian from NANAMAN last summer. They are AWESOME!!!! I've discovered that my taste runs to fruit that is not characterized in the literature as "very sweet", or "the sweetest you ever tasted".

I need some acid bite to go along with the sweet. I can't handle Sweetheart, for instance. That's why the FHIA-3 big pup is still potted - not planted. Anyone want to come pick it up?

Nominal price - free - just bring beer, cold.

Dan

bikoro child
02-23-2008, 01:42 PM
Yeahhh !!!Wait for me I'm coming!!!

bananimal
02-24-2008, 08:43 AM
Hey BC - you live in France - near Pau, right? Just drive over the border to San Sebastian, swipe a sailboat and head for S Fla. Bring containers for water for the banana pup on the return trip. Also some biere de garde like Trois Monts, 8.5%ABV - yum yum. lol :bananas_b

Simply Bananas
02-24-2008, 11:51 AM
Funny thing. As I sat here eating another early December cut orinoco, it occurred to me that had the weather never turned cold, then these fruits would have ripened right about now anyway.

Coincidence?

bikoro child
02-25-2008, 10:16 AM
Dan ,when you call me BC ,that makes me very old ...And for comin' I can take a cargo-jet at Pau for bringing all the beer you need...