Bananas.

[511Flyer]

Going Bananas about Bananas. What's happened to them recently? Can't find a decent one anywhere. They look alright, but when you peel them they are bruised. Cut them open, and they are black inside.
Not all of them, but at least 50% are fit only for the bin.

We've got Sainsburys, Tesco, Morrisons, and Waitrose, in our locality. We shop at all of them at various times, and all of them sell dodgy, soggy, inedible bananas. What a sorry bunch they are. Have we complained? I say, have we complained? Loudly and often, but it's a waste of breath. "Do you want a replacement sir?" Bad bananas replaced by bad bananas? Are you bananas?

[Nigel H-J]

Our Tescos' is alright with their bananas, though I think it all depends on how long they are kept in stock and whether it is in a warm environment, if so they can easily start to go bad. When we used to shop at Asda they were terrible and would be lucky to survive three days!

Regards
Nigel

[Vancouver]

I think it is because they are flash frozen these days for transportation. Not just bananas either. All fruit and veg with the notable exception of (yuck) cabbage seems to go off very quickly these days.

Re bananas I read somewhere that nowadays there is only one variety of them left in the world and that they require human input in order for them to fertilize and grow. No idea if this is scaremongering claptrap, but I do seem to recall bananas in my youth having quick pronounced black seeds running through them which are today absent.

[airboatr]

Fusarium wilt

http://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/di ... 98527.html

[Airspeed]

Good link Joe
That's what they call it, eh? Yes, I wondered why I wasn't functioning properly.

Alex, according to that, there are 500 varieties.
Most are growing Cavendish....what a great idea, let's reduce the choices for people, and plant millions of the same variety, so that any change in conditions will ruin the crop, let's....
Just how many we can now buy, who knows?

[Kevin Farnell]

Strange, but true -

A banana is, scientifically a berry (a fleshy fruit without a stone, produced from a single flower containing one ovary) along with grapes, currants, tomatoes and cucumbers. Strawberries and raspberries are technically NOT berries.
The banana plant is scientifically a herb (the world's largest herb, I believe).
Many other items bought at the green grocers and labelled as vegetables are in fact fruit (the seed bearing structure of a flowering plant). Examples being tomatoes, chillies, peppers, strawberries (yes, they are fruit, but not berries) and melons (that's the plant type! ).
Just thought you might like to know, should the conversation run dry at a dinner party.

Regards

Kevin

[airboatr]

I read an article a few months ago where a writer wrote.
If you peel a banana from the stalk ... You're doing it wrong.. Monkeys peel it from the perianth ..using the stalk as a handle.

.. but continue to peel a banana from the stalk... .... Because - I'm not a monkey..

[Airspeed]

Maybe if I got a perianth, my fusarium wilt might clear up...
This sounds very familiar:
Fusarium oxysporum generally produces symptoms such as wilting, ....... premature leaf drop, browning of the vascular system, stunting, and damping-off.

Thanks Kevin, that'll come in handy at the street party next month.

[Vancouver]

Nana's give me gas. In fact just reading this thread caused an eruption.......

[adysmith]

Which all brings me to the difference between knowledge and wisdom.

Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

(I'll get me coat)