Re: Pisang Klotek bunch - ready or not?
 

Speaking of diabetes. There were a couple of plants on the auction table at my rare fruit club this month. Called the insulin plant. Eating one leaf in the AM and one in the PM is said to regulate blood sugar to the extent that insulin is no longer needed. Anybody heard of this?

And what Terri said about bananas --- that's why they are not allowed on the diet of the Quick Weight Loss Centers. Most other fresh fruit is.

Re: Pisang Klotek bunch - ready or not?
 

I agree that at this point, no one knows if Pisang Klotek is a distinct cultivar of Mysore or just Mysore with an exotic local name from Sri Lanka. I think the only relatively strong piece of evidence for it being a distinct cultivar within the Mysore subgroup is that it doesn't seem to get quite as tall as Mysore sometimes does. But as for appearance, I'm growing Pisang Klotek immediately adjacent to Pisang Ceylan (a Mysore clone that doesn't have the banana streak virus in its DNA), and I don't think it is possible to tell the two apart. Maybe they'll end up being different heights, but overall appearance is identical. Hopefully I'll get them both fruiting regularly and I'll be able to say something informed about whether there are any detectable differences between the plants or the fruit. From very limit experience, flavor-wise, Mysore is very similar to PK, but I've never tried them at the same time to compare them. My guess is they'll taste the same if grown in the same place at the same time. The best bananas I've ever tasted were Mysore. (For the record, I've had some pretty unimpressive Mysore, too, that were scrawny and undernourished.)

Re: Pisang Klotek bunch - ready or not?
 

I've heard of Yacon refereed to as insulin plant and a study was done recently on the effects of Yacon leave consumption on diabetics but the results were not favorable.

Re: Pisang Klotek bunch - ready or not?
 

Today was the second taste of the first yellow PK's. Day 3 after skins turned yellow. Much better but still firm and taste not fully developed. Skins show marks and spots but fruit is clear. Flavor is so deep and complex I have no idea what the final result is. I'm tasting these for the first time too. Will try again mañana.

Amazing --- great tasting naner with unrefrigerated shelf life. The hands left on the bunch are still all green.

No other musa cultivar I've grown and harvested has these qualities.

Re: Pisang Klotek bunch - ready or not?
 

I've found that just like other bananas the weather while the bunch is hanging on the plant plays a role in the flavor and texture of the fruit. Are you getting any pineapple overtones?

Btw please pm me your address so I don't have to search for it. I'm not sure if the growth tubers are going to make it as all the ones I've taken off the main bunch have gotten soft the next day. I think they need a little moisture. I may send a whole plant bottom.

Re: Pisang Klotek bunch - ready or not?
 

Here many people use alpiste to control diabetes, wholesale cost $0.60 per pound.

Alpiste retail price is $5.00 to $8.00 per pound, while Canaryseed retail price is $1.50 per pound.

The interesting thing is that they are identical except for the labels, and both came out of the same exact 1000 kg bulk tote bag.

Re: Pisang Klotek bunch - ready or not?
 

Weather influence - true. Getting pineapple, soursop, guava, cumquat --- you name it flavors. And the tastes linger way longer than supermkt naners. When they are fully ripe and the flesh has softened I'll try to nail down the tastes. Gonna fry up a few when the skins blacken too for Nick's sake.

And I almost forgot --- the smell!!! The kitchen is gonna smell awesome in a few days.

Re: Pisang Klotek bunch - ready or not?
 

Might need some tall boots for the rest of this thread.

Re: Pisang Klotek bunch - ready or not?
 

I just realized that my PK leaves held up better to that bit of arctic cold we had than the Namwah, DB, and the FHIA18, like apples and oranges better! This plant can handle some pretty cool temps. It's leaves are almost fully green while the others are almost fully yellow and brown.

Re: Pisang Klotek bunch - ready or not?
 

I wonder if that is due to microclimates in your yard. My PK doesn't look any better than those ones you mentioned, looks way better than the Cavendish types and Rose, and not nearly as good dwarf Namwah.

Re: Pisang Klotek bunch - ready or not?
 

They are all planted right next to each other so that pretty much rules out micro climate. The PK is closer to my garage, that's the only thing i can think of that might give it any advantage, but even the second PK stand in the main garden is doing better than the DB right next to it. I'll get a few pics tomorrow.

Re: Pisang Klotek bunch - ready or not?
 

I have a few bananas outside in pots all green leaves.. No heat.. mysore is one of them. Its been 27° some nights..the frost can't really settle on them and not a lot of cold rain gets into the crown. Since they are close to the house I guess it's a micro climate..The ones in the ground and fully exposed have brown leaves and try to push out green on warm weeks. Its hasn't been below 25° here so far.. It's been warm. almost anything is possible.

Re: Pisang Klotek bunch - ready or not?
 

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Did the final taste of the first yellow PK's today. Day 5 after skins turned yellow. Taste is rich rich rich with much of the acid bite gone and flesh has softened. Skins show pronounced marks and spots but fruit shows no bruises. Ate 5 with my Wheaties - bkfst of Bananimals. Dog ate one.

Flavor deep and complex --- best naner I ever ate.

Super unrefrigerated shelf life and the hands left on the bunch are still green. So I'm cutting off one hand at a time every day now. Each hand is on a paper plate and numbered.

Best naner I ever grew.