# Green bananas



## Eaglelox (Jan 3, 2007)

what is the best way to keep bannanas green. thanks.


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## boufa06 (Jan 3, 2007)

Is there any reason why you want to keep bananas green?


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## Eaglelox (Jan 3, 2007)

my kids go through alot of banana. i dont like to go shopping when i dont need to.


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## JDP (Jan 3, 2007)

Instead of keeping them green you can allow them to get close to your desired ripeness and then put them in the refridgerator. This will about stop the ripening process. It may cause a little browning of the skin but the fruit will stay good inside. I learned this trick from Good Eats with Alton Brown.

JDP


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## boufa06 (Jan 3, 2007)

Eaglelox, generally bananas are picked very unripe.  In summer time, they ripen very fast.  However, in winter the ripening process is much slower, so if you buy then green now, they will take quite some time to ripen if you keep them in a cool place.  If you do anything more drastic such as putting them in the fridge, they may stay unripe but you run the risk of having them become darker in colour and eventually failing to ripen when you want them to do so.  

Alternatively, ripe bananas can be kept in the fridge which will preserve them longer at the expense of changing their appearance and possibly texture.  However, they will most likely be okay to eat regardless.


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## Eaglelox (Jan 3, 2007)

thank you


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## StirBlue (Jan 4, 2007)

Bananas may be shipped green but then they are "fogged" with chemical to expidite the rippening process.  
   Andy M was given a lot of bananas a few weeks ago.  He peeled them, bagged them, and froze them.  His children go through a lot of bananas too.
   His post is around here somewhere.


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## TATTRAT (Jan 4, 2007)

StirBlue said:
			
		

> Bananas may be shipped green but then they are "fogged" with chemical to expidite the rippening process.
> Andy M was given a lot of bananas a few weeks ago.  He peeled them, bagged them, and froze them.  His children go through a lot of bananas too.
> His post is around here somewhere.




Much like when you buy a tomato at the store. the only reason they are red, is because they are gassed to be so. Long live true vine ripened!


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## buckytom (Jan 4, 2007)

StirBlue said:
			
		

> Andy M was given a lot of bananas a few weeks ago.


 
oh, please tell me you didn't say that. 

payment for being a moderator, perhaps?  

lol, just kidding big guy. happy new year!


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## Uncle Bob (Jan 4, 2007)

Bananas are cut, packed, and shipped green from the "tropics" to U.S. ports in shipping containers. Where they are unloaded and taken to Grocery warehouses or ripening facilities. They are then placed in "HIgh Tech" banana rooms for the ripening process which can be 5 to 7 days. It is a totally controlled enviroment...part of the process is "gassing" the bananas with Ethylene gas (occurs in nature and is man made) to promote ripening.
They are then shipped to retail outlets where they have about a two day shelf life due to continued ripening and rough handling. It has been my experience that a true Stage 1 green banana left out to ripen on it's own will never ripen to the beautiful yellow color that we are accustomed to...nor will the taste/flavor ever be close to those "properly" ripend ones.
Buy them fresh..yellow with green tips and stems...handle with care..and enjoy them as you like....they are highly perishable!


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## Andy M. (Jan 4, 2007)

StirBlue said:
			
		

> Bananas may be shipped green but then they are "fogged" with chemical to expidite the rippening process.
> Andy M was given a lot of bananas a few weeks ago. He peeled them, bagged them, and froze them. His children go through a lot of bananas too.
> His post is around here somewhere.


 

I don't have a clue what you are talking about.

Please explain.


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## StirBlue (Jan 4, 2007)

Sorry, it was AllenOK

*What have I gotten myself into???* 
One of the things that I keep my eyes out for when I'm grocery shopping is a store special on over-ripe bananas. I can usually get bananas at 25 cent / pound on these specials. I take them home, peel them, put 2 - 3 in a quart ziplock, mash them, squeeze the air out, and freeze. I use these for banana pancakes and banana bread. My kids go nuts for both.

When we moved to OK, PeppA, my other half, started working at an ice-cream / hamburger / grocery store. I've worked for this company in the past, and like their products.

They started selling more "grocery" items in the past few years. I'm not surprised that they sell bananas, as this company uses bananas for banana splits.

A few days ago, PeppA bought home a couple bunches of over-ripe bananas that she picked up on discount. I did my usual and mashed/froze them, and have made a couple batches of banana pancakes, and even a loaf of banana bread a couple days ago.

PeppA must have bragged about the banana bread to her co-workers. Yesterday, she came home with *14 POUNDS* of bananas! I now have 11 qt-size ziplock baggies in the freezer, most with 3 bananas, so with 2. I also have two orders for banana bread from her co-workers.

I just ran a search on the HDD for the laptop. I came up with 53 recipes that call for bananas. I guess I'm going to be doing some cooking today and tomorrow.
__________________
Peace, Love, and Vegetable Rights!
Eat Meat and Save the Plants! 

_Last edited by AllenOK : 12-03-2006 at 12:05 PM. _


_You were just in my A file  lol  _
- Give karma - Report post


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## licia (Jan 4, 2007)

Did someone say how good the frozen bananas are for smoothies? don't even need ice.


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## Pimpette (Jan 5, 2007)

Actually there's no such thing as an over-ripe banana. Banana's are actually supposed to be black when eaten, not yellow.


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## GB (Jan 5, 2007)

Are you sure you are not thinking of plantains Pimpette?


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## StirBlue (Jan 5, 2007)

Pimpette said:
			
		

> Actually there's no such thing as an over-ripe banana. Banana's are actually supposed to be black when eaten, not yellow.


 
My english teacher liked black bananas.  I prefer a good fresh banana in my lunch or just to snack on.  The blacker the banana the more it has a liqueur extract quality.  

Curious George eats yellow bananas.


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## attie (Jan 6, 2007)

"It has been my experience that a true Stage 1 green banana left out to ripen on it's own will never ripen to the beautiful yellow color that we are accustomed to...nor will the taste/flavor ever be close to those "properly" ripend ones."
Never a truer word spoken, I totally agree,


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## BlueCat (Jan 6, 2007)

Mine always ripen far too quickly to use them.  I'll have to experiment by putting a couple in the fridge.  I've always seen the way they turn brown, and thought they were overripe.  My mother has a hiatal hernia and she also has gallstones, so she has a lot of trouble eating anymore.  One of the foods that settles well, and settles her stomach when she isn't feeling well, is a banana, so she buys something like 10# at a time, and they never have a chance to go bad.

BC


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## PytnPlace (Jan 6, 2007)

licia said:
			
		

> Did someone say how good the frozen bananas are for smoothies? don't even need ice.


 

Don't think you can keep them green for long but I do put mine in the fridge to slow down the browning - not big on spotted bananas.  When they do get too ripe I park them in the freezer for smoothies later in the week and they work great.  No ice.  Just frozen fruit, milk and some yogurt.


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## boufa06 (Jan 6, 2007)

Pimpette said:
			
		

> Actually there's no such thing as an over-ripe banana. Banana's are actually supposed to be black when eaten, not yellow.


I have lived in the tropics for most of my life and I have never seen bananas being black when naturally ripen unless of course you are referring to the skin.  In such a case when the skin reaches that stage it is considered too ripe and the banana will be mushy with rotting already in progress.  The best time to eat bananas is when the skin is deeply yellow and the flesh is white, quite firm, and fragrant.  In my case, when bananas have just gone past the firmness stage, I usually mash them up and make banana fritters, puddings, or cakes.


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## kitchenelf (Jan 6, 2007)

buckytom said:
			
		

> oh, please tell me you didn't say that.
> 
> payment for being a moderator, perhaps?
> 
> lol, just kidding big guy. happy new year!



Now everyone knows we get paid with bananas!!!!  It was a secret for so long too!


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## boufa06 (Jan 6, 2007)

kitchenelf said:
			
		

> Now everyone knows we get paid with bananas!!!!  It was a secret for so long too!


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## home cook (Jan 8, 2007)

When  banaanas are not in season I buy dried bananas. My children eat them instead of sweets.


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