Kat2

As a newbie to Musas I'm doing what I always do when I find a new type of plant--seek out the unusual and grow them with a vengeance. (Worked when I did figs ages ago.)

I have space for 2 where I am and these sound interesting. I gave away my figs (can't stand them) and would probably gift bananas or most of them so I want something yummy.

Yeah or nay on either or both of these?

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sunfish

nay

Kat2

You've grown/tasted both? If so, any other recommendations for something tasty that's "different"? BTW, I'm a plantain gal or very unripe banana eater; too ripe/sweet and I gag so any fruit produced would probably be gifts.

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caliboy1994

I believe they would both be dessert bananas that are normally eaten ripe.

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venturabananas

No one has ever posted a photo of Truly Tiny fruit on the org. I'd venture to say they don't produce fruit with any regularity, if at all. If anyone knows differently, then step up and post a photo. Rob is the most recent person to fruit Thousand Fingers. You can find a review of it if you search for it. In short, don't count on 1,000 fingers, but I think he liked it.

If you don't like sweet, then grow plantains and harvest and eat them green. If what you don't like is sweet without tart to balance it, there are plenty of sweet-tart bananas.

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sunfish

I think most bananas are normally eaten ripe unless I missed something. Even plantains are normally eaten ripe unless they are cooked.Is there a banana usually eaten green ?

venturabananas

I think much of the banana-eating world eats them green -- like potatoes. Take tostones for example.

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sunfish

Thats cooked not raw

venturabananas

Right you are. I figured it was understood that you have to cook them to eat them green -- unless you want them to taste awful.

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Kat2

As I said I would be gifting fruits to people who only know what Publix offers. If there's a tart banana, sign me up! I was 1 of 6 kids. We weren't rich nor were we poor. My mother brought home fruit that was not quite ripe from the store once a week. If you waited for it to mellow, you lost out so not ripe/firm/tart is what I know and like.

As an adult I lived just outside of DC so enjoyed lots of ethnic markets/restaurants; got really turned onto plantains when visiting Costa Rica in 2008.

I hope to grow some of them but I also want to grow bananas for friends.

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venturabananas

The most sweet-tart that I've tried is Pisang Klotek/Pisang Ceylon/Mysore (they're all essentially the same in flavor and very closely related). Other good sweet-tart ones I've tried are Dwarf Brazilian, Rajapuri, FHIA-18, and Goldfinger. There are others, but I have no personal experience with them. When cooked ripe, Monthan and Bluggoe (Orinoco) both have nice tartness to offset their sweetness.

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sunfish

So do you cook your unripe bananas ?


I'm a plantain gal or very unripe banana eater;

Kat2

No, I don't cook less than ripe bananas. I just like them firm and tart. Not too unripe or you get the persimmon effect Actually I don't think plantains have much flavor but I do cook them green.

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robguz24

1000 Fingers is surprisingly good out of hand, but I can't imagine going through the trouble of cooking with them.

This was my taste report:
1000 fingers taste report

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GreenFin

Kat2,

There is a longtime member here named jeffreyp who has seen and tasted Truly Tiny fruit. He runs a nursery in southern Florida and actually knows the person who developed Truly Tiny, which is a super dwarf form of Brazilian.

Here's the best thread to read on that topic -- Difference between Truly Tiny, Little Prince and Super Dwarf Cavendish -- and a key excerpt: Jeffreyp has shared that a couple other times, too:

http://www.bananas.org/f311/truly-tiny-bananas-10054.html#post104120 -- M. Truly Tiny is Truly Tough -- And he has described the flavor: Best Tasting Dwarf...... -- If you're wanting to get a Truly Tiny, I strongly recommend you order it from Wellspring Gardens. Why? Because they sell tc's of the original plant (original plant went from Truly Tropicals to Agri-Starts, and Wellspring gets their tc TT's directly from Agri-Starts). If you get it from another source, I think you'll run an extremely high risk of not getting the right species due to rampant mixups and a general lumping together of the midgets (super dwarf cav, little prince, and truly tiny).

I'm growing Super Dwarf Cavendish, Little Prince (basically a super duper dwarf cav), and Truly Tiny. All are growing in identical conditions a few feet from one another. The SDC and LP look exactly like all the other cavendish varieties I have, just smaller. The TT (purchased from Wellspring) looks obviously different.

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Kat2

Yeah! I had read the thread you mentioned GreenFin but somehow missed the taste report. (2 months of reading about bananas trying to cram this old brain with new tricks has made my eyes gloss over.) I was planning to order from Wellspring but stopped and posted my query 1st; thanks for taking the time to answer/quote/research for this newbie.

robguz24 I am definitely not going to cook bananas; I don't even like banana bread. I searched here for a taste report and didn't find yours; I guess my key words were off because I didn't find anything about them. Thanks for the link and link with in it. One reason I was interested in 1000 Fingers was for the kids in my life; children are fascinated by little packages IME.

venturabananas I have added your list of varieties to my "when I have more Musa space" list. Thank you!

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Worm_Farmer

I have had 1000 fingers before. They taste good, did not stand out as OMG this is the best ever but better than a store bought. Only thing is the fruit was tiny and I had to eat about 6 of them and at that point I think I burned all the calories I was consuming trying to peal them.

I would not in anyway tell you to avoid the 1000 finger. They do taste good and they make for a great conversation plant. I would however say that if you only had space for 1 banana plant the 1000 finger might not be the best choice.

Kat2

I actually have or will make space for more if they come to me but I have a perfect spot for 2 really different ones now. If I really have a Dwarf Cavendish (which I am seriously doubting unless it's normal for leaves to be 3'+ long and 1'+ wide and only 1 pup) then I'm expecting 6' to 8' height; it appears 1000 fingers will get a bit taller but if, as it appears, the fruit hangs down it wouldn't be hard to pick. That's assuming I ever get a flag...

I'm rethinking Truly Tiny but am ready to try 1000. Any other recommended varieties on Wellspring? If not, I'll probably spread the shipping on something else. Figs? Perhaps. (I don't eat them at all but they're fun to grow and the leaves and sap have other uses.)

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sunfish

Takes a long time to get figs on a TC. You would be better off to root a cutting.It's free and you usually get figs in one season

Kat2

Ears perk up? Free figsticks? Not here where I live in FL; I have yet to figure out what they grow. I can spot a ficus at 100 yards. Stop vehicle with small clippers in pocket (so you don't scare anyone), knock on door and ask for a clipping. I had 42 different unnamed varieties are 1 point in my life. Yes, done right they will fruit within a year. And what is a TC? Code for what?

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