When the day comes that the banana is a British seasonal fruit, we’re in big trouble. Until then, at least we can eat bananas that are fair-trade, organic and sea-freighted rather than flown in.
Buy?
If you want to eat them straight away, look for firm bright yellow bananas. If you want some that last for longer, buy bananas that are greener that will continue to ripen at home.
Store?
Store in a cool place, and be careful, as bananas will speed the ripening of other fruit in the same bowl, so keep them separate if you want your other fruits to last longer.
Freeze?
You can freeze peeled bananas whole (try dipping them in chocolate before freezing them) or you can slice bananas and freeze the slices in bags to be used in baking or cooking later.
Cook?
Bananas can obviously be eaten raw.
They are also great in fritters or tempura, in cakes, muffins and biscuits, breads, puddings, served with custard, or mashed with brown sugar and served with evaporated milk, blended into smoothies, dipped in chocolate and frozen, dried into chips, turned into banana flour and even added to curries!
Bananas with brown spots on the skin are the best kind for baking with.
More Banana Information
Bananas may be the oldest domesticated and cultivated fruit in the world, with some archaeological evidence suggesting cultivation as far back as 8,000BC.
Bananas are well known as good source of potassium. They are also fat free, sodium free, cholesterol free and a great source of fiber, vitamin C and vitamin B6.
But did you know that banana "trees" are actually giant herbaceous plants? Or that there are also red varieties? Or that the word ‘banana’ comes from the Arabic word ‘banan’ which means finger?
And here’s more: banana plants are also an excellent source of fibre for papers and textiles.
And finally, apparently it is true that until the early 19th Century, Hawaiian women were forbidden from eating many banana varieties on actual pain of death!
Banana Recipes
Banana and Ginger Biscuits
Banana Tempura
Madelaine’s Banana Bread
What’s your favourite banana recipe?
Categories: food, fruit, seasonal eating
