Tuesday, February 14, 2012

OMG BANANAS!





I can hardly believe it, but yes, I have my very first banana harvest! Some of you may remember that back in April I posted a photo of the banana flower with the little bananas growing around it, and then in May I made a salad with that very flower (recipe here) which was delicious! Well, many months have gone by, I was almost giving up on my bunch, and before leaving in December I thought that maybe I wasn't going to find any bananas upon my return. But they were still there, and fatter! And then a couple of days ago I noticed some yellow... I know that it may sound silly but I was so excited!




Please consider that I grew up in a mountain village in the North of Italy: we don't do bananas there! We were actually too high even to grow tomatoes, let alone anything remotely tropical. This must be why I am so over the moon and OMG and still cannot believe it!




With my trusty machete I cut the banana bunch off the plant, one thing that I have learned living in the bush is that if I don't hurry other creatures will, and I read that banana can finish ripening on the kitchen bench. Of course I had to taste one immediately! OMG again and again, I swear that this is the best ever tasting banana I ever had, it is perfect, and has a citrusy note and perfect texture. Maybe I am just proud, and happy, but I cannot remember any banana tasting better that this one! My little boy (the biggest banana consumer in the household) agrees with me, so that's nice :-). I have 46 of them, yuppy!!!





 And nothing to do with bananas, but I have Cape gooseberries too :-)



Photos  by Alessandra Zecchini ©

21 comments:

  1. I am impressed!!! Bananas in Auckland - WOW I know nothing about growing them but didnt think it was possible and that they taste GREAT!

    Very exciting, its a great idea to ripen indoors - it would be awful if the animals/insects/birds got stuck into them!

    If you know any tips on ripening figs - please share. As soon as they are ripe the birds get stuck in!!!

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    1. In Italy we don't have as many birds as in NZ, and they more shy, but here you really need to be quick, or put a net over the tree (even if they are known to go under!).

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  2. I would be excited too! Certainly worth the wait :)

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  3. I think that the position was good, sheltered away from the wind, lots of water and half of my kitchen compost!

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  4. Grandiosa! Sarei emozionata anch'io! Non ci sono abituata, mi fa una stranan sensazione vedere il "casco" ^_^ Un bacio, buona giornata

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  5. e fai bene ad essere orgogliosa, chi non lo sarebbe riuscendo a mangiare le banane coltivate in proprio??
    complimentissimi davvero Alessanra, ti invidio anceh un po' ^^

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  6. Very satisfying, picking your own fruit.
    I've grown Cape Gooseberries here, on a windowsill!

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    1. Really? My plants become really big with long stems that crawl everywhere, I didn't know that you could keep them on a windowsill maybe the remain small if they are in a pot

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  7. I cant believe I think is amazing have your own bananas (lol)
    Happy Valentine Alessadra!

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  8. I remember your banana flower post!!! So cool you've got such a good harvest. That is really fun! How wonderful it must be have exotic fruits growing in your own garden. Enjoy those bananas!

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    Replies
    1. Yes it is really fun Rose, but mostly I am so ... grateful!!

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  9. OMG davvero, che bella sensazione deve essere, ma lo sai che cosa mi fa ancora piĆ¹ impressione (almeno per il momento) ? Vedere quei piedi con le infradito, vorrei avere quella sensazione di caldo adesso...oggi ancora -10. Brr!! Mangia una banana anche per me e mandami un po' di caldo...

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    1. Se potessi ti manderei il caldo e anche un paio di banane, e a Barbara pure, mi sento quasi in colpa ad essere in estate. Stanotte pero' ho sognato il mio paese in Italia e che nevicava e nevicava e non avevo abbastanza vestiti, e poi sono andata sulle piste ed ha cominciato a piovere a dirotto e mi sono svegliata alle 5 con il rumore del temporale. Adesso e' quasi mezzogiorno e non ha ancora smesso di piovere, ho fatto bene a fare quelle foto ieri: oggi avrei bisogno delle pinne, altro che infradito!! :-)

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  10. Beautiful! We never grew bananas back in Malaysia (probably because they were so cheap), but we had mangoes (oh, the fragrance!), jackfruit, custard apple and the ubiquitous papayas. I miss all the tropical fruits.

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  11. I wish that I could have a mango tree (and they are so beautiful!) as it is our family's favourite, but maybe that would be really impossible in NZ. What do you think?

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  12. Alessandra, it is amazing! Congratulation on your first banana. I made my first panna cotta, come and see, please... What do you think?

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  13. Oh congratulations - like having babies :-) I remember my childhood growing up in Auckland, we had a banana plant (which even fruited). I seem to recall that each year the plant threw off three more plants, and of course each year each one of them did the same. We had quite a plantation in no time.

    We also had cape gooseberries - which are one of my absolute favourite fruits - I've never had them since I moved to the South Island.

    xo

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    1. Yes there are other banana plants around the water tank now, but space is a bit limited there, although the idea of a plantation sounds good, if I can get more bananas :-). Can you grow Cape gooseberries in Nelson?

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  14. Wow!! So exciting!! I don't think I know of anyone who's grown bananas, apart from in a tropical place... good work! Also those cape gooseberries look great :)

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  15. Wow! Homegrown bananas! That is amazing. They look very cute and delicious!

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