Go Bananas!

One of my favorite foods of all time is bananas. Ever since I was young, I’d strip off the whole peel and eat it in as few bites as humanly possible without choking. Favorite snack of many a monkey, bananas are a portable, delicious treat, chock full of vitamins and minerals. There are so many ways to use them, from sweet to savory dishes, smoothies and pies, that it’s a good idea to keep this versatile fruit in your fruit bowl all year long.

Bananas are thought to originate in Malaysia. Bananas made their way to India after that, and are mentioned in the Buddhist Pali writings that date back to the 6^th century BC. Bananas made their way to the United States some hundreds of years later, and were introduced to the American public at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. The bananas were wrapped in foil and sold for ten cents. Before that time, bananas reached America on sailing ships. Bananas have since become an American household favorite, and many sources say they are the number one fruit in the United States. It is said that bananas are both a fruit and an herb. Because the banana plants are sterile, the seeds are little specks. The banana plant is often called a ”tree” but it’s technically an herbaceous plant, because the stem doesn’t contain a woody tissue.

Bananas are available year-round, and they are harvested every day of the year. The clusters that grow on the banana trees are called a “hand” and consist of ten to twenty bananas, which are known as fingers. There are some horticulturists that think that the banana may have been the first fruit on earth, since they have been cultivated for such a long time it’s hard to say when they started to grow. There are a few close relatives to the banana, such its cousin the plantain. Plantains are a member of the banana family, and they are starchy lower sugar variety that needs to be cooked before serving. It’s a popular ingredient in West African and Caribbean countries. Plantains are often prepared fried or baked, and are considered and cooked like a vegetable. Maybe you’ve seen the adorable little mini-bananas at the supermarket and wondered if they are much different than the banana. Mini-bananas are basically just small bananas, but have a much sweeter taste than their giant counterparts, and a somewhat creamier texture.

Bananas are a great healthy choice for a snack or ingredient in a recipe because of the loads of vitamins and minerals they contain. A cup of banana has two hundred calories, one gram of fat and 6 grams of fiber. They are high in potassium and a great source of Vitamin C. They also contain a hefty dose of Vitamin B6, manganese, magnesium, calcium and zinc. Bananas also contain a prebiotic called fructooligosaccharide, or FOS. Prebiotics are found in many fruits and veggies that support the good bacteria in the colon. These good bacteria can help strengthen our immune system, aid in absorption of minerals and vitamins and many studies are being conducted to see if they help to prevent some cancers. There have been correlations made to latex allergies and bananas, and while the reasons aren’t really understood, there seems to be a connection to people with a latex allergy and an allergic reaction to bananas.

When buying bananas, you can pretty much base your choice on when you want to feast on them. If you don’t mind waiting a few days, green bananas will be ready in a few days. If they’re greenish yellow, they’re getting closer, and if they start to spot brown, you’ll want to eat them soon or save them for banana bread or another baking endeavor. To save brown bananas you don’t have time to monkey with right away, they can be frozen in the peels in a freezer bag for up to two months. If you have your heart set on some banana bread and your bananas have some ripening to do, you can place them in a paper bag and close it off, and this process will speed up the ripening process.

Bananas are a really easy food to stick in your purse for a snack, or an easy addition to oatmeal, yogurt, a smoothie or a fruit salad. They’re available all year, so you don’t have to wait around until they come into season, which makes me happy since they’re by far my favorite fruit. When baking with bananas I find it’s best to puree them or mash they really well so you don’t end up with slimy lumps in your muffins or cake, because nobody likes that. When making a dessert like banana pudding or banana cream pie (a.k.a. heaven on earth) prepare it as close to the time you’re serving it as possible to avoid the slime factor. You can also dip them in a little lemon juice to keep them preserved in those deserts. One of the most popular culinary uses for bananas is banana bread. Everybody seems to have a recipe, and I’ve used dozens over the years, searching the world over for a banana bread like none other. For now I’ve settled on one, and it’s what I use almost all the time. You can feel free to substitute cranberries, pecans, almonds, white chocolate or whatever you want for the walnuts and chocolate, but I think they’re a nice addition indeed. Enjoy!

Fully Loaded Banana Bread

3 ½ cup flour

2 t. Baking soda

½ t. Cinnamon

½ t. Salt

4 eggs at room temp for 30 minutes

2 1/3 cup brown sugar

1 cup canola oil

3 cups mashed , overly ripe bananas

¼ cup sour cream or crème fraiche

1 cup walnuts, toasted in oven for 5 minutes at 350 degrees then chopped fine.

1 cup good quality chocolate chips

Directions: preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt together in medium bowl and whisk well. In a standing mixer or with a hand mixer with paddle attachment, mix the eggs and brown sugar for ten minutes ( I know it’s long, but it’s worth it I swear!!) until the mixture becomes white. Add canola oil, bananas, sour cream and mix until incorporated. Add flour mixture while mixing on low speed, and incorporate. Fold in the chocolate chips and chopped walnuts. In a greased loaf pan or mini loaf pans, scrape batter in and bake for 40-45 minutes for a loaf pan, 30-35 minutes for minis. All ovens are different, so you’ll want to start checking it depending on the pan and if it’s getting too brown on top without being done cooking, place aluminum foil on top. Bake until toothpick inserted comes out clean.