Who doesn't love bananas? 🍌 They are nutritious, delicious, affordable, portable and the perfect on the go breakfast, snack or mid-afternoon pick me up.
We have all encountered bringing home under-ripe bananas or looked over at the fruit bowl to see them completely brown and mushy - but there are ways to use them at every stage along their journey from green to brown.
Here are some ideas on how to use up this versatile fruit!
GREEN:
Green bananas are very unripe, feeling firm to the touch and are lacking their beautiful signature fragrance. They are chalky to eat and there is no hint of sweetness. This high starch content means the flesh hasn't converted to sugar yet, lending itself best to savoury dishes such as curries, fried or mashed as you would a potato after cooking.
GREEN/YELLOW:
Unripe bananas have a slightly starchy/slightly sweet flavour. The texture is smooth, slightly starchy and a little tacky/sticky. If you prefer a less sweet flavour this is the perfect time to eat your banana raw. Otherwise this is the perfect time to pan-fry, deep fry or bake.
YELLOW:
Ripe, rich, sweet and fragrant. We all know and love the delicious flavour and creamy texture of a perfectly ripe banana. Perfect for eating straight from the peel, chopped up through your morning yoghurt and granola or on your toast drizzled in honey.
This is also a great time to use them in nice-cream, smoothies and cakes .
If you wish to extend the life of the banana at this stage it is ok to pop the banana in the fridge to slow the ripening process. The peel will continue to darken however the fruit will remain perfectly fine to eat for up to a week.
SPOTTED:
This is when the downhill run picks up speed and you are up against the clock. We all know you can still eat the banana raw at this point however they are super sweet and a little mushy. They are best used for banana bread, nice-cream, smoothies, pancakes and muffins.
BROWN/BLACK:
At this point your house is overwhelmed by the scent of banana and the skin is only just holding the mushy mess of the fruit inside. Whilst not looking very appetizing, bananas are still perfectly fine to eat at this stage. All starch is gone and replaced by sugars. We all have used bananas at this stage in banana bread, however you can also use them in waffles or freeze them for use in smoothies.
You see there is no "better" stage for a banana. Each is different and has amazing benefits and uses.
So the next time you have bananas that you've deemed too green or too ripe, it's time to get creative and use them in a whole new way!
