Cavendish Banana

Uses : Edible, Forage. Native to : Southeast Asia
     Cavendish Bananas do not really grow well here in West Florida. Actually they grow very well with plenty of supplementary water during the dry period and protection from freezing in the winter. So I'm saying they need a lot of care to thrive this far north of the Caribbean. A truly beautiful plant, bananas are the idealization of the word 'tropical'. Cavendish bananas are a dwarf variety more suited to the home landscape. It should be planted in the wettest, warmest place in your property, sheltered from cold winds in the winter. It can handle full sun if receiving enough water. High winds will rip the leaves, but the 'trees' seem no worse for wear.
     My father thinks that they need to have two long growing seasons with a frost-free winter in between in order to have fruit. It sounds reasonable, as my bananas have never had a flower and neither have his. When I lived in Riverside, Jacksonville, one of my neighbors had a Cavendish that had flowers and then fruit, and it was beautiful. I can only guess that their yard had a very excellent micro climate.
       Because the fruits of the plant lack viable seeds, propagation is via the new shoots the plant creates like bamboo. It is said that you can tell a plant has been in cultivation for a long time when it can no longer reproduce sexually but requires humans to transplant. Like taro. Actually these bananas have a lot in common with taro as they are grown in similar parts of the world and prefer moist, humid conditions.
     Perhaps most people are pretty familiar with the banana, but did you know the skin/peel is edible as well? In Africa a banana wine is produced, for local consumption only, apparently, and is known for being one of the most nutritious of fermented foods as the wine contains most of the B vitamins and some of the potassium the original bananas had. Dehydrated banana chips are also very nutritious and have a long shelf life if made properly. Plantains, bananas' sister, are used in the same way potatoes are.
     Banana leaves are used in Africa to wrap foods in like a packaging, and as disposable plates. Some people wrap meats in banana leaves before baking for added tenderness and flavor. The leaves can be used for thatching and are frequently used as a natural umbrella. Leaves and pseudostems make a decent fodder for ruminants, but are not complete nutritionally. One source recommends banana pseudostems and sweet potato vines in combination, or urea. Ick.

IFAS - Bananas

Michael Pollan - The Omnivore's Next Dilemma

Michael Pollan about Sustainable Agriculture

      Michael Pollan is one of the foremost speakers about the national food situation currently facing us. His non-threatening persona and charming eloquence make him a popular choice. Most importantly, he advocates many of the same ideals that I advocate, the least of which are that people need to get back to producing healthful food and eating locally.
     This video is an exerpt from a larger one that he made as a follow-up to his book and documentary, an Omnivore's Dilemma and the Botany of Desire. This interview piece specifically describes Joel Salatin's Polyface Farms, a sustainable protein production operation in Virginia. Please comment, criticize.

Slow Coffee

How to brew coffee without a coffeemaker
     It should be noted that I have a drip coffee maker and a diffuser, but I still prefer this method because it's so easy. And it uses no electricity. It creates very little mess. There's no heat or steam warming up my kitchen either.
     Simply take an old jar with a lid and add your coffee to it as you prefer. I usually use about four teaspoons for this size jelly jar. Then fill the jar all the way to the top with regular water from your tap or filter. Put the lid on securely, then give your mix a few shakes. Put the jar in the back of the fridge and ignore for two or more days. I usually leave it in for three or four.
     Then when you are ready to drink, grab a cheap coffee filter, filter basket, or heck even a piece of good cheesecloth will probably work. Place your filter into a food-grade funnel, place the drain of the funnel into a carafe or your cup. Shake the mix again, then pour into your filter/funnel contraption. The idea is to get all the grounds and coffee out of your jar and into your filter, then your cup. Take your filter and grounds outside and feed the plants with it.
     I would be cautious not to leave your coffee mix for too long in the refrigerator. Any chlorine in your municipal tapwater should inhibit some bacterial growth, in theory anyway. Coffee has natural oils and compounds which can and do go bad over time, and I'm sure it would be a displeasing ferment. I don't let ours sit back there more than a week, not that it would ever last that long around here.