remove banana flowers or not?

[gnappi]

I always cut it off when I can reach it and my bananas have never had a disease problem

Me too. The one big thing to consider is cutting off the dead flowers and immature fruit will keep the tree upright better

[gunnar429]

I twisted one off just today and chucked it in the mulch pile. That's my policy. I tried a bit of it raw and it was astringent. Probably there are better parts to eat. I mulch my other fruit trees with banana stalk cut into 2 inch discs with a wire saw.....

found on ebay--- 2 for 3 dollars or less

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Emergency-Survive-Stainless-Steel-Wire-Pocket-Saw-Tool-Deluxe-Camping-Silver-/141081664561?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20d91f5c31

eat it raw?? why would you do that?

cook it! it's delicious. You have to open up the bracts and get at the little flowers on the inside, remove a couple of the harder parts, and cook!

i find it funny how some people eat things the wrong way and then say they hate it. This lady at the grocery store popped a whole lychee into her mouth...
she refused to ever try one again.

(banana flower is one of my favorite foods  )

What's your recipe for banana flowers?  I have a couple in the yard atm.

[zands]

Not all banana stalks are tilting. But if you have one that is leaning then you better remove those banana flowers. Or you will have to support the stalk with wood or ropes or what have you. I have had two leaning banana stalks with good bananas that crashed onto the ground. The bananas were ruined and inedible. Its a shame to see a banana stalk spend so much time and energy getting those bananas ripe. Then it all ends prematurely

[gunnar429]

I saw a guy on the internet who built stands out of pvc pipe.  He used 2 pipes as "stilts" and had a u-shaped connect on top to support the stalk high up near the bunch.  You could probably find it on the web, and make them yourself.

[gunnar429]

What's your recipe for banana flowers?  I have a couple in the yard atm.
[/quote]

I am also interested in the timing of harvesting the flower for cooking as I have some flowers in the yard and would liek to attempt something exotic.

[zands]

I saw a guy on the internet who built stands out of pvc pipe.  He used 2 pipes as "stilts" and had a u-shaped connect on top to support the stalk high up near the bunch.  You could probably find it on the web, and make them yourself.

Maybe next time I see impending doom for a banana bunch. Good idea

[FrankDrebinOfFruits]

In SE Asia, namely Thailand/Cambodia/Laos, removing banana flowers right after the last hand is formed served one important purpose, food. It is used as salad in a number of dishes. Chopped up into small strings, they are quite delicious.

I have been meaning to look up a recipe. Seems like another good food source. Here at the farmers market there are a few people selling them. So that means that people are buying them.

Worth a try.

For now, I cut and break up the flower and use it for fertilization.

[fyliu]

I saw a guy on the internet who built stands out of pvc pipe.  He used 2 pipes as "stilts" and had a u-shaped connect on top to support the stalk high up near the bunch.  You could probably find it on the web, and make them yourself.

That's Jon Verdick, banana and fig expert in San Diego who runs webebananas.org and figs4fun.org

As for recipes, the Vietnamese and Thai and SEA people will know best. My mom always tells me that the Vietnamese soup noodles with purple cabbage should be made with sliced banana flowers in the traditional way. I guess purple cabbage is much cheaper than purple banana flowers.

[edzone9]

I remove mine once the hand is fully developed.
Ed

[Dangermouse01]

I saw a guy on the internet who built stands out of pvc pipe.  He used 2 pipes as "stilts" and had a u-shaped connect on top to support the stalk high up near the bunch.  You could probably find it on the web, and make them yourself.

Maybe next time I see impending doom for a banana bunch. Good idea

Thats what I use.

DM