Banana buying tips

Purchasing: Yellow bananas are available year round. Other varieties may also be available in large supermarkets, but ethnic markets are the place to shop for the exotics. Hispanic, Philippine, and Thai markets offer more diversity. There you can find red bananas, burro bananas, plantains, and occasionally Lady Fingers. Select bananas that are slightly green, firm, and without bruises.

If the bananas have a gray tint and a dull appearance, these have been refrigerated, preventing them from ripening properly. Most Americans avoid purchasing plantains mainly because they do not know how to select them and what to do with them. Plantains can be purchased in any state of ripeness, from very green and firm to completely black and soft, but it is important to note that the very green ones will test your patience. Banana chips are available in most supermarkets. Because they are sometimes deep-fried in unhealthy oils, they are very high in calories. We recommend avoiding these or eating them only occasionally.

Storing: Never store unripe bananas in the refrigerator! They simply will not ripen properly because the cold interferes with the ripening process. Bringing refrigerated bananas back to room temperature will not reverse the process. However, once bananas are ripe, they can be refrigerated for up to two weeks. Take note that their skins will turn black. Give yellow-green bananas time to ripen at room temperature to a sunny yellow color, from one to three days, or they will taste astringent and be difficult to digest. Ripen plantains at room temperature. They may take up to three weeks to soften and ripen to a dull yellow color mottled with numerous black spots. Most fruits give off an ethylene gas in the process of ripening. Because bananas release a higher concentration of ethylene gas, they ripen quickly. If you’ve bought green bananas and want to accelerate the ripening, place them into a paper or plastic bag. Adding an apple to the bag will encourage faster ripening. To take advantage of very ripe bargain bananas, simply peel them, cut them into chunks, and wrap them in plastic. Tuck them into the freezer and use as needed for smoothies, or defrost and mash them for baking or making fruit sauces.

Information obtained from www.banana.com.

Banana Cake

2 cups sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup mashed bananas
1/2 cup butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder and soda. Add salt. Add milk to mashed bananas. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Add flour mixture alternately with combined milk and bananas, adding a small amount at a time. Add vanilla. Pour into well-greased 9×13-inch layer pan or stem pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

Banana Frosting

1/2 cup mashed bananas
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup butter
1 pound confectioners sugar

Mix together bananas and lemon juice. Cream butter with 1 cup sugar, then add bananas and remaining sugar alternately.

Banana Punch

3 quarts boiling water
3 cups sugar
3 6-ounce cans frozen orange juice
3 6-ounce cans frozen lemonade
1 46-ounce can pineapple juice
6 ripe bananas, mashed
3 quarts Sprite, 7-Up or Ginger Ale

Combine boiling water and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves. Blend small amount of juice into bananas?you may want to use a blender. Add remaining juices; mix well. Freeze to slush.
Just before serving, add 3 quarts Sprite, 7-Up or Ginger Ale. Yields 2 gallons.

Banana Pudding

1/2 cup sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
3 egg yolks
1/2 stick butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
6 medium bananas
Vanilla wafers

Meringue:
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup sugar

Combine sugar, flour and milk in a double boiler and bring to a boil. Cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Beat egg yolks and add to hot mixture. Stir constantly for 5 minutes. Remove from heat; add butter and vanilla; cool. Layer with bananas and vanilla wafers.
Meringue: Whip egg whites and vanilla, forming soft peaks. Add sugar gradually until stiff peaks form. Spread on pudding and bake in 350-degree oven until lightly browned.
Banana Nut Bread

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon soda
2 cups flour
1/4 cup nuts, chopped
2 large bananas, whipped with mixer until foamy
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together shortening and sugar; add beaten eggs. Add soda to flour and sift together. Mix with creamed mixture. Add nuts; then fold in whipped bananas.
Bake in greased and floured loaf pan for 45 minutes. Makes one large loaf or two small loaves.

Strawberry-Banana
Yogurt Pie

1 Graham cracker crust
1 small package cream cheese
2 cartons strawberry-banana yogurt
1 8-ounce carton Cool Whip

Soften cream cheese; blend with yogurt. Fold in Cool Whip and pour into Graham cracker crust. Refrigerate. Serve very cold.

Banana Cream Pie

1 9-inch pie crust, baked
1/2 cup sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 cups whole milk
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 medium bananas, divided
1 cup heavy cream, whipped and sweetened with 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup toasted coconut

Assemble all ingredients and utensils. In top of double boiler, mix sugar, flour and salt. Gradually stir in milk and cook over boiling water until thickened, stirring constantly. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
In separate bowl, add 1/4 cup milk mixture to beaten eggs; return to double boiler and cook another 2 minutes; stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add butter and vanilla. Cool. Slice 2 bananas into baked pie shell. Pour custard over bananas and chill several hours.
When ready to serve, cover pie with cream and sprinkle with toasted coconut. Arrange remaining banana slices around edge of pie. Yields 8 servings.

Banana Bread

6 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup quinoa flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, blend butter and syrup. Add eggs and bananas. Mix in remaining ingredients. Pour into greased loaf pan.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until it tests done. Or use muffin tins and bake 16 to 18 minutes. Makes 12 servings.