# Is this banana okay to eat?



## artofcooking (Jan 21, 2013)

So, I bought it at Walmart *6 days ago*. It was the greenest banana I could find there.
However, it is looking very strange to me and is still quite green, but very dirty looking. This is very different from most bananas I buy (the greenest I could find at Lucky became yellow in 1 day!).

Is it safe to eat? It actually looks good in my picture... but the 6 days thing bothers me.


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## Dawgluver (Jan 21, 2013)

Should be fine.  Before I saw your pic, I was thinking you had a plantain, which is a whole 'nother story.


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## Barbara L (Jan 21, 2013)

Open it up and smell it. You can't always go by the outside looks. It should be fine, but if it is bad you can tell by the actual fruit.


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## Whiskadoodle (Jan 21, 2013)

What.  You think bananas always fly direct from Central America or where-ever direct to Walmart.  Banana imports pre date modern shipping.  Think ships, unrefrigerated trucks and trains.  Think hot summer sun beating down or freezing temps across the prairies before Free-ways.   Bananas are one of only a few fruits which will ripen and retain and develop their full flavor after harvesting.  Many/ most fruits, once picked,, that is as good as they are going to get.   Think,   out of season tomatoes for instance.  Bananas have a long shelf / storage life.  And if they get over ripe, make banana bread or muffins.


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## Kylie1969 (Jan 21, 2013)

I would open it up and check


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## CWS4322 (Jan 22, 2013)

My answer is NO! Only because I don't eat bananas!!!!! Bananas make me gag (although I was able to stomach looking at the pic). Although I've longed for "smellavision" when some DCers have posted pics, this is one time I'm glad we don't. I'd hate to have the smell of banana wafting from my computer. 

I'm sure it is fine. People use very, very ripe bananas for banana bread.


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## buckytom (Jan 22, 2013)

the bananas i use for my banana-flax-honey-whole wheat bread are practically all brown when i peel them to toss into the breadmaker.

i've always found it interesting that to this day there are still stories of people unpacking crates of green bananas that are imported to northern countries, and large tropical spiders and other huge bugs crawling out of them.


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## CWS4322 (Jan 22, 2013)

buckytom said:


> the bananas i use for my banana-flax-honey-whole wheat bread are practically all brown when i peel them to toss into the breadmaker.
> 
> i've always found it interesting that to this day there are still stories of people unpacking crates of green bananas that are imported to northern countries, and large tropical spiders and other huge bugs crawling out of them.


Where's the recipe for that? I can handle bananas in bread and that sounds like a winner (especially since the bread machine does almost all of the work)!


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## buckytom (Jan 22, 2013)

i'll have to make it again and post the recipe after measuring amounts, cws.

but i can say that i buy a bag of bob's red mill whole wheat bread mix,

(one of these 100% Whole Wheat Bread Mix :: Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods


adding it to the bread maker via the instructions, then add 3 overripe bananas, whole flax, ground flax, and honey., in that order.


btw, c-dubya, i'm trying to send you a pm but you're full (but you look so skinny, lol)


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## CWS4322 (Jan 22, 2013)

buckytom said:


> i'll have to make it again and post the recipe after measuring amounts, cws.
> 
> but i can say that i buy a bag of bob's red mill whole wheat bread mix,
> 
> ...


I've emptied my in box. So now you can PM me.


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## Kayelle (Jan 22, 2013)

buckytom said:


> the bananas i use for my banana-flax-honey-whole wheat bread are practically all brown when i peel them to toss into the breadmaker.
> 
> i've always found it interesting that to this day there are still stories of people *unpacking crates of green bananas that are imported to northern countries, and large tropical spiders and other huge bugs crawling out of them.
> *



One of my earliest childhood memories is my Daddy opening up a box of bananas for the grocery store, and big tarantulas crawling out! 
Could be the reason I hate both bananas and spiders!


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## Steve Kroll (Jan 22, 2013)

A banana can be completely brown and still okay to eat. In fact, I've made plenty of banana bread from fruit matching that description. What I would look for is mold on the skin, or other visible signs of spoilage.


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## artofcooking (Jan 22, 2013)

I smelled the banana and it was okay. Surprisingly, it was very clean inside and I ate it cautiously.

So, the banana was okay! Thanks all.


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## acerbicacid (Jan 23, 2013)

I make instant icecream with bananas much blacker than that.    Just cut into slices about ½ inch thick, put in  single layer in the freezer, when solid put into blender or processor and blitz (makes a really clunking noise!) add some real custard, and it is ready to eat.   Tastes lovely too.

Here's a recipe from the same chef but this one uses buttermilk, sugar, etc.
Banana ice cream: Recipes: Good Food Channel


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## Doe in the kitchen (Jan 23, 2013)

I would say the best thing to do is to open it up and look at the actual fruit and be sure to smell what it smells like. Also make sure that there isn't any film or slime on the actual banana. I know that sounds really gross but some fruit just has a problem even if you buy it green. If there was a drastic temerature difference when shipping or if it froze slightly it could all change the fruit. hope this helps


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## mj1 (Jan 25, 2013)

artofcooking said:


> So, I bought it at Walmart *6 days ago*. It was the greenest banana I could find there.
> However, it is looking very strange to me and is still quite green, but very dirty looking. This is very different from most bananas I buy (the greenest I could find at Lucky became yellow in 1 day!).
> 
> Is it safe to eat? It actually looks good in my picture... but the 6 days thing bothers me.




 I have to say that I am puzzled by this entire thread. Do most of you eat your bananas when they're still green or yellow, before they develop brown spots like in the picture? 

I cannot stand bananas until all of the green coloring is gone and there are brown spots all over the skin/peel (whatever you call it). That process probably takes around 10 days (give or take) from the day I buy them. In fact, by the time I consider bananas edible, they're almost rotten (a couple days away). Buying bananas is actually a huge problem for me because of spoilage. I can only buy a few bananas in a bunch because if I buy more than five in a bunch, they actually do become rotten before I get a chance to eat them all (assuming I eat only one per day). 

The picture of that banana is hard to see (at least on my computer), but I see nothing wrong with the banana at all. To me, I'd consider that not quite edible, yet.


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## Kylie1969 (Jan 25, 2013)

artofcooking said:


> I smelled the banana and it was okay. Surprisingly, it was very clean inside and I ate it cautiously.
> 
> So, the banana was okay! Thanks all.
> 
> View attachment 16900



Great to hear


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## acerbicacid (Jan 25, 2013)

mj1 said:


> I have to say that I am puzzled by this entire thread. Do most of you eat your bananas when they're still green or yellow, before they develop brown spots like in the picture?
> 
> I cannot stand bananas until all of the green coloring is gone and there are brown spots all over the skin/peel (whatever you call it). That process probably takes around 10 days (give or take) from the day I buy them. In fact, by the time I consider bananas edible, they're almost rotten (a couple days away). Buying bananas is actually a huge problem for me because of spoilage. I can only buy a few bananas in a bunch because if I buy more than five in a bunch, they actually do become rotten before I get a chance to eat them all (assuming I eat only one per day).
> 
> The picture of that banana is hard to see (at least on my computer), but I see nothing wrong with the banana at all. To me, I'd consider that not quite edible, yet.



I have the same problem, I don't eat them until really ripe, that is why I was so pleased to find the recipe for the icecream.   Saves me throwing them away.    I put some in the freezer last night because they had gone black, looking forward now the the icecream


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 25, 2013)

I eat green bananas and Shrek eats ripe...no problems


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## Snip 13 (Jan 25, 2013)

artofcooking said:


> I smelled the banana and it was okay. Surprisingly, it was very clean inside and I ate it cautiously.
> 
> So, the banana was okay! Thanks all.
> 
> View attachment 16900


 
For future reference. Bananas that look like the one on your pic are fine to eat. Most bananas I've bought in the past few months looked like that. The store owner says it's when they refrigerate them during shipping that it causes a weird colour change. My kids eat them all the time and they've never gotten sick.


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## CWS4322 (Jan 25, 2013)

mj1 said:


> I have to say that I am puzzled by this entire thread. Do most of you eat your bananas when they're still green or yellow, before they develop brown spots like in the picture?
> 
> I cannot stand bananas until all of the green coloring is gone and there are brown spots all over the skin/peel (whatever you call it). That process probably takes around 10 days (give or take) from the day I buy them. In fact, by the time I consider bananas edible, they're almost rotten (a couple days away). Buying bananas is actually a huge problem for me because of spoilage. I can only buy a few bananas in a bunch because if I buy more than five in a bunch, they actually do become rotten before I get a chance to eat them all (assuming I eat only one per day).
> 
> The picture of that banana is hard to see (at least on my computer), but I see nothing wrong with the banana at all. To me, I'd consider that not quite edible, yet.


Suffice it to say, bananas are rarely on my grocery list. I do not eat bananas. I do not like bananas in the house, my car, or within 30 ft. of me--I can't stand the smell of them (or the texture). (My brother and I took a road trip a couple of years ago. He had three bananas in his backpack when I picked him up. I could smell them immediately. I told him to eat them, toss the peel in the garbage before he could get in. There was no way I was riding in a car that smelt like bananas). The only time I buy bananas is if I want to make banana bread--about once a year. And then, I buy "ready-to-use, overripe bananas" and either use them immediately or freeze them. If you can't eat all the bananas before they start to blacken, you can peel them and mash them with a potato masher, shove in the freezer. You can then use these bananas for banana bread, muffins, etc. rather than toss them out.


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## Snip 13 (Jan 26, 2013)

I can't stand bananas either but my kids love them. Slightly green bananas do have a lower GI though, so for those of you that have diabetes they are better for you. Blackened bananas are great for banana bread and they don't get rotten that quickly. If it looks like a banana, smells like a banana, it must be a banana and is fine to eat lol! 

In response to MJ1's post. We tend to make mountains out of mole hills on DC. We have more than one thread on how to boil and egg. I guess DC is short for OCD ;p 
Most of us don't seem to mind. 
I know I don't. DC is where I come to talk about whatever I want, whenever I want and no one judges me. Love it! It's better that Prozac


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## artofcooking (Jan 27, 2013)

Okay, so WHAT DO I DO WITH THESE?
They are from costco and have heavily browned spots.


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## Dawgluver (Jan 27, 2013)

artofcooking said:


> Okay, so WHAT DO I DO WITH THESE?
> They are from costco and have heavily browned spots.



Eat them.  They're fine.

I threw a couple of peeled overripe bananas into the blender along with frozen blueberries, some Greek yogurt, skim milk, agave syrup, and chia seeds for a very nice smoothie.  Actually, a lot of smoothies.  DH will take some to work.

Bananas are one of the few fruits that you don't need to worry about pesticides, etc., as they are totally encased in a peel.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 27, 2013)

Eat them!


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## buckytom (Jan 27, 2013)

agreed. they even still have a bit of green on them, so they're fine. bananas' skin bruises easily from temp change and handling, but the meat inside will be ok


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## artofcooking (Jan 28, 2013)

Lol, okay. Thanks.


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