Bananas
Bananas are a soft, sweet, tropical fruit eaten fresh at virtually every stage of ripeness and used extensively in baking, frying, and desserts around the world.
How to buy
Choose bananas based on how soon you plan to eat them -- green bananas take several days to ripen, while yellow with light brown speckling signals peak ripeness and sweetness for fresh eating. For baking (like banana bread), the riper and spottier, even blackened, the better, since the starches have converted to sugar. Avoid bananas with significant bruising or splits in the peel if buying for later use.
How to store
Store bananas at room temperature; refrigeration slows ripening and darkens the peel but doesn't harm the fruit inside, so it's a reasonable way to extend a ripe banana's life by a few days. Separating bananas from the bunch and wrapping the stems in plastic slows ripening slightly by limiting ethylene exposure at the crown. Overripe bananas are best peeled and frozen for smoothies or baking, since the texture turns mushy for fresh eating but works perfectly in cooked applications.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Mild and sweet with a distinct tropical, slightly musky flavor that intensifies and turns more honeyed as the fruit ripens. Green or barely-ripe bananas are starchy and much less sweet, while very ripe, spotted bananas are far sweeter with a deeper, almost caramelized flavor. Frying or baking concentrates this sweetness further.
- Texture
- Firm and slightly starchy when underripe, softening to a creamy, custard-like texture at full ripeness, and almost liquid when overripe. Cooking -- frying, grilling, or baking -- can caramelize the exterior while keeping the inside soft, or break it down entirely into a smooth purée.
- Aroma
- A sweet, distinctly tropical aroma from isoamyl acetate and related esters that intensifies sharply as the fruit ripens, becoming especially strong once the peel is fully spotted or black.
How to prepare
- Eaten fresh — Peeled and eaten plain or sliced over cereal, yogurt, or in fruit salads.
- Mashed — Mashed smooth as a base for banana bread, pancakes, or as an egg substitute in baking.
- Fried or sautéed — Sliced and cooked in butter or oil until caramelized, a common dessert or side preparation.
- Grilled — Halved in the peel and grilled until soft and smoky-sweet.
- Frozen — Peeled and frozen whole or sliced for smoothies or as a base for dairy-free 'ice cream.'
Classic dishes
American
- Banana bread — A moist quick bread made with mashed overripe bananas, a classic way to use up spotty fruit.
- Banana pudding — Layered vanilla pudding, banana slices, and vanilla wafers, a Southern classic.
- Banana and peanut butter sandwich — Sliced banana layered with peanut butter between bread, a simple, iconic snack.
- Banana smoothie — Blended banana with milk or yogurt for a creamy, naturally sweet drink.
- Banana split — A halved banana served with scoops of ice cream, toppings, and whipped cream.
- Banana cream pie — A custard pie layered with sliced bananas and topped with whipped cream.
- Chocolate-dipped frozen banana — A frozen banana coated in chocolate on a stick, a classic boardwalk treat.
- Banana cake with caramel icing — A moist spiced cake made with mashed banana, often topped with caramel or cream cheese frosting.
Indian
- Banana lassi — A blended yogurt drink sweetened and flavored with ripe banana.
Cajun & Creole
- Bananas Foster — Bananas sautéed in butter, brown sugar, and rum, flambéed and served over ice cream.
Caribbean
- Plátanos fritos — Sweet ripe bananas or plantains sliced and fried until caramelized, a common side dish.
- Banana fritters — Mashed banana mixed into a batter and fried into small, sweet, golden cakes.
Filipino
- Pisang goreng — Bananas sliced, battered, and deep-fried until crisp, a popular Southeast Asian street snack.
- Saba con yelo — Sweetened plantain-type bananas served over shaved ice as part of a halo-halo style dessert.
British & Irish
- Banoffee pie — A no-bake pie layering bananas, toffee, and whipped cream over a biscuit crust.