I've gotten forwarded mail and seen in certain publications that really ripe bananas with brown spots are supposed to be better for you because it has cancer fighting properties. There's TONS of information out there about bananas that you don't know what to believe but this one on One Green Planet sounded good.
In a nutshell, it said UNRIPE bananas are good for you because it has high resistant starch content (less carbs) for Type 2 diabetics. Unripe bananas also have pro-biotic bacteria for good colon health. It's also supposed to help you absorb calcium. On the not so good side, it can cause gas because of its higher resistant starch content.
On the other hand, because the resistant starch in RIPE bananas turn to simple sugars (higher glycemic index) as it ripens it's also easier to digest. Ripe bananas also have higher levels of antioxidants called TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor) which fight cancer cells. The more brown spots it has, the more antioxidant properties. There is some nutrient loss as it ripens so they advise putting really ripe bananas in the refrigerator.
We never liked to put bananas in the refrigerator in the past, but I've done it and it really doesn't affect the flavor at all.
And then there's how to peel a banana. They say the correct way to peel it is from the side opposite the stem. I tend to peel it from the stem which is actually wrong. If you peel it from the opposite side (after pinching it first to get a hold of the peel) you won't have as much problem with the stringy fiber that sticks to the banana. It's hard to break a habit but I'll have to make an effort tomorrow. I'm also going for the greener one.
Bananas also have high potassium content which is good for us.
OK... I guess that's it, unless I get another forwarded mail about bananas.
On the other hand, because the resistant starch in RIPE bananas turn to simple sugars (higher glycemic index) as it ripens it's also easier to digest. Ripe bananas also have higher levels of antioxidants called TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor) which fight cancer cells. The more brown spots it has, the more antioxidant properties. There is some nutrient loss as it ripens so they advise putting really ripe bananas in the refrigerator.
We never liked to put bananas in the refrigerator in the past, but I've done it and it really doesn't affect the flavor at all.
Bananas also have high potassium content which is good for us.
OK... I guess that's it, unless I get another forwarded mail about bananas.
I learned to peel bananas from the bottom because that is the way monkeys do it. And yes it does leave few if any strings. I freeze over-ripe bananas to use in banana bread.
ReplyDeleteJust to add, they actually don't eat them in the wild.
DeleteGranny, At your suggestion, I'm going to put my two crossed-over-the line brown spotters into the freezer. That way I can wait a week, a month, a year even before I get around to making banana bread. New vistas are opening...! The reason I have these two brownish behemoths wasting away on the counter is that my granddaughter from Bellingham, Washington just visited and she didn't realize that our local much smaller, so-called "apple bananas" are far superior in taste, so she bought the wrong (by my standards) bananas.
DeleteGood comment! Thanks, Granny!
ReplyDeleteI love bananas and peel them the 'wrong' way. (I didn't know it was wrong until I read this, so am I excused?) I also keep them in the refrigerator and they rip up there just like they would on the counter top only they do it slower. I like them cold. Life time habit I won't break now.
ReplyDeleteI confess to having thrown out a mushy banana this morning. In the distant past, I have made a low fat banana cream pie but not lately. I recently saw online that you can back bananas. It may be worth trying.
ReplyDeleteNo bananas here....darn.
ReplyDeleteSo what about just rightly ripened bananas? I buy big bananas and Tom and I share one every morning. I cut them in half, so then peeling them is easy. I have tried the pinching the blossom end and it does work. I hear that's how monkeys eat them. :-)
ReplyDeleteah bananas and the myths surrounding them. I love bananas...
ReplyDeleteI believe the proper use of bananas is in Banana bread (or cake, even better!)
ReplyDeleteI have two bananas that have crossed over the brown spot line. I judge that I have two more days to either make banana bread with them or toss them out.
ReplyDeleteInteresting!
ReplyDeleteGood to know! I only eat apple bananas - they are firmer, slightly tart, and have a much longer ripe stage than the other types of bananas. Even when their skins are blackened, they are still good and firm. My daughter in Seattle really misses those. When she was living here she would dehydrate them.
ReplyDeleteI like bananas and eat them all the time. Now I find out how good they are.
ReplyDeleteWell, I have one banana that is starting to get brown spots. Should I eat it this morning for breakfast or freeze it for bread later?
ReplyDeleteI recently started peeling bananas that way, but as you say, it's hard to break old habits. I go through periods of eating bananas and others where I'm not interested in them. I didn't know about their cancer fighting properties, though. :-)
ReplyDeleteOk, I tried peeling a banana from the non-stem end; yep, fewer strings to mess with. But I like mine pretty green, sliced with a bit of chocolate syrup for a splurge. Made some banana bread with smushy ones. Seems bananas have been grown as one species around the world, and when a disease wiped out groves a few years ago, farmers didn't get the message to plant more durable species. Supposedly that's why bananas don't last as well when we get them home any longer than we recall 20 years ago. The disease is about to take over crops again, so prices will go up, and bananas are poorer quality. Enjoy them however we can for now! Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeletei love green bananas but hate ripe ones.
ReplyDelete