1. Bananas...Tips and Facts
BANANAS
If bananas ripen before they are picked, they lose their taste and texture.To
ripen green tip bananas quickly, keep them at 70 degrees F, with very high
humidity and no air circulation for 2 or 3 days.Best storage for ripe bananas is
65 degrees F with 80% humidity, and very good air circulation.
They should keep for a week or so like that.Do not hold green bananas much below
59 degrees F. The skin will turn a dark brownish color and they will develop an
off taste.Unlike most other fruits, bananas develop their best eating quality
after they are harvested.
This allows bananas to be shipped great distances. Almost our entire supply of
bananas, available year-round, is imported from Central and South America. Bananas
are sensitive to cool temperatures and will be injured in temperatures below 55
°F. For this reason, they should never be kept in the refrigerator.
The ideal temperature for ripening bananas is between 60 and 70 °F. Higher
temperatures cause them to ripen too rapidly.Look for: Bananas which are firm,
bright in appearance, and free from bruises or other injury. The state of ripeness
is indicated by skin color. Best eating quality has been reached when the solid
yellow color is specked with brown. At this stage, the flesh is mellow and the
flavor is fully developed.
Bananas with green tips or with practically no yellow color have not developed
their full flavor potential.
Avoid:
Bruised fruit (indicating rapid deterioration and waste); discolored skins (a sign
of decay); a dull, grayish, aged appearance (showing that the bananas have been
exposed to cold and will not ripen properly).
Occasionally, the skin may be entirely brown and yet the flesh will still be in
prime condition.Unripe bananas have about 25% starch and only 1% sugar. Natural
enzyme action converts this high starch content to sugar, so ripe bananas have a
20% sugar content.The average banana contains .6 grams fat.
The very heart of the trunk of a banana 'tree' - inside the layers of bark fiber,
is a white tube. It may be cooked, and has a taste and texture similar to bamboo
shoots.For a cool refreshing treat, cut a banana into chunks and put in the
freezer. Take out in a couple of hours and enjoy.Carry bananas in your lunch or
use as a snack.Use sliced bananas in cereal, yogurt, or on a peanut butter
sandwich.
SOURCE :
RoBa Cooking Tips and Recipe
www.roba-cook.blogspot.com
Hope it was Helpful,
Roger B. (rog99)