Tuesday, August 28, 2012

I have a Banana Melon Question

Yesterday, like many other cucurbits in our garden this year, the Banana melon plant died instantly. It had tons of unripe fruit on it. I pulled the fruit, because I didn't want it to get what the vine had. And now we have about 50 pounds of unripe banana melons sitting inside in my living room window.

Many large but unripened Banana melons.
 How can I get unripened banana melons to ripen and not rot? 

Anyone?

13 comments:

  1. I have no idea. But to make you feel better, I was trimming off some excess vines from my cantaloupe yesterday, and I thought I had properly traced one back to the end melon so I whacked it off. Turned out to be the wrong end of the vine, and five melons were attached to what I'd cut off! I do think they were close enough to being ripe that I won't lose them. I hope. Keeping my fingers crossed that yours ripen, but I had unripe butternuts last year that just rotted rather than ripening.

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  2. Ooooh! I do hope yours ripen.

    I'm thinking I'll go to the grocery store and get a banana box with the plastic still inside. I know they use some kind of ripening spray to get the banana's to turn. If I put them in the box, maybe there will be enough reside left in the box to do the trick.

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    1. Jody you don't need any sprays. Put them into paper bags with fresh bananas or apples and close it and it will speed up ripening. Though they won't get any sweeter they will be juicy and turn color.

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    2. Thank you Jenny! I will do it.

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    3. Hi again Jenny, one melon has begun to ripen on its own. I put the others in a card board box with a couple ripening apples. Thanks again for the advice. Hopefully I can post our success!

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  3. Good luck. Last year I picked some slightly early squash that did fine. But too early and they never ripen for me.

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    1. Thanks Daphne. We picked spaghetti squash early this year, and it ripened nicely in the window there where the banana melons are. I'm hoping for the same success with the melons now.

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  4. I don't know but I have to say I like the optimism in the question - not will they ripen? but how I get them to ripen? My kids are going through a 'glass half empty' stage at the moment and I would love them to have a bit of your 'how do I do it?' rather than their - 'it's all toooooo haaaarrrrd!'.

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    1. "My kids". That's all ya gotta say. My kids too! Only mine are in a "know it all" stage.

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  5. I have ripened squash off the vine successfully but they were already turned in part before I had to go that route. I hope these were far enough along for you that they cooperate and ripen.

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    1. Hi Laura, I'm starting to see some yellowing on a couple of the melons now. I do hope we get something. There's so much fruit there. I hate to see it go to waste!

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  6. hey Jody - you dont have to publish this. so i think your cat is sick. how old is she? she probably has a UTI and can be easily treated with antibitoics. your vet can get her fixed right up!
    :-)

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  7. You didn't expect you comment to post immediately. That's OK. Thanks for the response to my comment on your blog. It's a great idea. We didn't even think that might be what's going on. I'll definitely get Sydney to the vet.

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