Banana harvesting and ripening

Hi! This is my first time growing bananas. If I harvest them green (see photo), will they still ripen? My preference would be to ripen them on the plant, but the particular stalk that blossomed fell towards the walkway to my front door during a storm and I could only tie it back up a little bit. I’ve got some family members with mild mobility issues, and it’s been in inconvenient for them. I’m in zone 10/coastal Southern California, and the weather has been cooler than usual this summer, if it makes a difference. The bananas have been growing for several months, and are supposed to be blue Java variety. Thanks for any info you have.

Hi Lydia!

Your bananas will ripen if you harvest them now. They just will not get bigger, but ripen they will! Give them some time and it will be fine.

Banana envy here! Congratulations on a beautiful bunch.

I've heard (haven't tried it out yet) that if you keep the bunch tightly packed after they are picked then they are slower to ripen. It could be a good way of extending the good life of the fruit if it is true.

it might take a while, but it is how normal bananas are harvested here in bananaland!  (never seen the blue ones before)
and when i have a green bunch, i hang it out on my porch just the way it was on the tree (i'll tie a cord on the stalk). when they're being shipped long-distance, they are sort of bundled tight, which seems to confirm what Nancy said.

Excellent--thank you for the info! I harvested them, and now I have a clear walkway and a lot of bananas.