"James Silverton" > wrote in message
...
> pure wrote on Sat, 30 May 2009 06:50:28 -1000:
>
>>>
>> Living in the sub tropics as we do, Sheldon is correct.
>> Pineapples should ripen on their plant as should bananas.
>> Makes a whole lot of sense because I think the sugar action
>> happens as a plant ripens.
>
> I have enjoyed unusual bananas in Hawaii, especially red ones, but I do
> not agree that bananas should always ripen on the plant. To me, the
> perfect banana is yellow with a few green stripes and has a slightly acid
> taste. I won't argue that there are not uses for fully ripe bananas in
> cooking but I dislike them for plain eating.
>
>
No matter what degree of ripeness you prefer bananas are best picked
directly from the plant. In the tropics where bananas are grown it's very
typical to buy bananas by the entire stalk, it's hung outdoors in a shaded
spot and folks pick as they want (be wary of snakes and tarantulas). The
bananas at the bottom ripen first, the stalk contains enough sustanence that
the bananas ripen as though still on the plant. I like bananas still firm
too but there's a world of difference picking off the plant or stupidmarket
bananas off your countertop. When I lived in Belize I learned to live like
the natives, there no one keeps fresh fruit in their living space, even with
window screens they would attract too many insects, the iguanas, large
birds, and other critters would rip right through your screens to get at
the fruit. There are many exotic fruits that grow naturally in Belize that
are never seen in the US, or anywhere else on the planet for that matter.
Bananas on stalks are sold by street venders, as are all other exotic
fruits... and all other foods... you want a tasty rain forest rodent roasted
on a stick the street venders have it... the national food of Belize is the
gibnut. Unless you're adventuresome be sure to order your rice and beans
with shrimp, otherwise that pork or chicken is likely to be rat or iguana.
Most of the exotic tropical fruits are not eaten out of hand, they just
don't lend themselves to that (their textures are not condusive and their
flavors are much too intense), they are typically diluted, made into ice
cream, jams, cold beverages (alcohilic drinks), or fermented into delicious
wines. Exotic tropical fruits generally have so short a shelf life that they
must be processed that day or they rot... they also have a very short
season, some maybe a week that they can be harvested... with some of the
rarer varieties they only produce fruit every few years, that's what makes
them rare. Btw, bananas don't grow on trees, they grow on a herbaceus
plant, the planet's largest herb. The pineapple is the planet's largest
berry, the coconut the largest seed. In the tropics you needn't worry too
much about anything you see moving, it's what doesn't move that can kill
you... don't touch anything... more than one native has died harvesting
coconuts encountering a deadly snake wound about the coconuts and fallen
some 40 feet to his death. In the tropics everyone checks the undercarriage
of their vehicle often... many roads are barely roads, just a muddy rocky
path through the bush so one is forced to go slow, snakes sunning themselves
in the road often hitch a ride into town, could be a deadly coral snake or a
just as deadly 25 foot boa... don't purposefully drive over these snakes,
the weight of your vehicle won't hurt it but you'll bring it home.