As bananas pass the yellow-ripe stage, they develop brown “freckles” on their skin. They are still good to eat, and these riper bananas are sweeter because their internal starch is in the process of converting to sugar. A black banana has converted all its internal starch to sugar and is as sweet as it will get, before spoiling. Bananas are a great source of potassium – good for your heart and blood pressure, and easy on the digestion. A fully ripe banana has TNF (tumor necrosis factor) which may be effective in fighting abnormal cells in the body. The more dark brown spots on the skin, the higher the TNF content. More dark brown spots also indicate the presence of more antioxidants that can help boost the immune system. These freckled, sweeter bananas are great for banana bread, smoothies and shakes. The fruit inside may be soft and mushy but as long as its not dark brown or black it’s useable. Freezing bananas will slow down the ripening process, and you can use these frozen bananas in recipes, too. A banana that is moldy or smells rotten is beyond use. One or two brown spots on the fruit itself can simply be cut away, but if there are a lot of brown spots, don’t plan on using it for anything. When you buy bananas, avoid fruit with cuts or severe damage to the skin.
Peel it like the monkeys do!
Here’s an easy way to peel a banana: Instead of struggling to peel starting from the stem end, just pinch the other end. It will split apart, and all you have to do is peel and repeat. The stem makes a perfect “handle” for holding the fruit while you eat. Those pesky “strings” tend to stay attached to the peel this way, too. Check out the video:
Here’s what to do with your over-ripe bananas
http://blog.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/2012/07/09/go-brown-bananas/ http://www.chiquitabananas.com/Banana-Recipes/recipes-search-result.aspx?recipes=ripe-brown&tool=yes http://www.chiquitabananas.com/Banana-Recipes/old-fashioned-banana-nut-loaf-recipe.aspx http://www.chiquitabananas.com/Banana-Recipes/Glazed-Banana-Carrot-Muffins-recipe.aspx http://www.chiquitabananas.com/Banana-Recipes/Four-Seed-Banana-Loaf-recipe.aspx http://www.chiquitabananas.com/Banana-Recipes/fiber-rich-banana-loaf-recipe.aspx http://www.chiquitabananas.com/Banana-Recipes/BananAde-Smoothie-recipe.aspx http://www.chiquitabananas.com/Banana-Recipes/banana-zucchini-loaf-recipe.aspx http://www.chiquitabananas.com/Banana-Recipes/Sweet-Spicy-Baked-Beans-recipe.aspx http://www.chiquitabananas.com/Banana-Recipes/Banana-Honey-Pecan-Muffins-recipe.aspx http://www.chiquitabananas.com/Banana-Recipes/applesauce-banana-loaf-recipe.aspx http://www.chiquitabananas.com/Banana-Recipes/Banana-Red-Velvet-Cupcakes-recipe.aspx http://thevietvegan.com/chocolate-banana-creamsicles/ http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/recipe/7219/You-wont-believe-whats-in-this-sandwich-cookie.htm?pwquery=overripe%20banana http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/01/11/oatmeal-raisin-breakfast-cookies/
And here’s a Bonus!
http://greenlitebites.com/2011/01/banana-soft-serve-homemade-one-ingredient-ice-cream/ Featured photo credit: Jason Gillman via mrg.bz
