Going Bananas

We picked bananas this weekend (we meaning Bruce - at least he's the one who cut them down). We have about 30 banana trees in our yard, mostly "apple" bananas. They are small, firm and very sweet if you let them get really ripe. After eating these you'll never eat another store-bought banana again, unless you are desperate!

The stock on the left is one of the largest stocks we've gotten from our trees. I think this one is especially big because the tree sits in the path of the washing machine water, so it gets plenty.


This is Bruce cutting down a second smaller stock. I didn't think to get the camera until he was done with the big one. He chops the stock off with a machete, then cuts the tree down. Once the trees produce a stock of bananas they are "pau" (Hawaiian for finished) and need to be cut down because they die anyway.

The last picture is of a stock as they grow on the tree. As soon as they start to turn yellow it's time to cut them down. You wouldn't believe how long it takes for a stock of bananas to start to turn yellow from the time they show up on the tree...sometimes months!

Of course, it seems like we always get several stocks at once instead of nicely spaced throughout the year, but there are plenty of friends and neighbors to give the overflow to. Kind of like our avocado tree, which still has about 100 avocados on it. But that's a story for another day!