Uses for overripe bananas
Sometimes I think my children intentionally let the bananas get too ripe. Have any other mothers out there noticed this?
They love bananas.
They ask you to buy them.
You bring home a large, lovely bunch of bananas.
The kids eat two of them and ignore the rest.
Several days later, you notice flies buzzing around something black and sweet-smelling on your countertop.
Aha! It’s the much-begged-for bunch of bananas.
Truthfully, I never let it go that far. When the brown spots become brown blotches, I know I’ve got to do something with the bananas.
Since I’m low on blogging ideas right now anyway, I will devote the rest of this week to: “What to do with those black bananas” Here’s the preliminary list:
Freeze them for later snacking - just peel, slice on a plate, and freeze. When they are frozen solid, put them in an airtight container.
Make banana bread
Banana muffins
Banana cookies (that’s right - cookies)
Banana brownies
Banana cream pie
Milkshakes or smoothies
The following recipe comes from my ever-faithful Betty Crocker cookbook:
Banana Bread
makes 1 loaf
1/3 c. butter, margarine or shortening, softened
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
3 mashed bananas
1/3 c. water
1 2/3 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. baking powder
optional: 1/3 c. raisins, 1/3 c. chopped nuts, and/or 1/2 c. mini chocolate chips
Start by creaming the sugar and shortening together, then adding the eggs. Mix well. Next add the mashed bananas and the water and combine that. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients, then add that to the banana mixture. Finally, stir in the extras if you are using any.
Heat your oven to 350. Grease the bottom of a loaf pan, pour the batter in, and pop it in the oven. The banana bread needs to bake 55-60 minutes or even longer. It is too easy to undercook quick breads. They LOOK done long before they are actually done. Check by inserting a toothpick into the center of the bread. It should come out clean or with crumbs on it. If it looks gooey at all, the bread is not done.
When you finally take it out of the oven, lay it on its side for 5 minutes, then flip and lay it on the other side for 5 minutes. After that, slide a knife along the sides and it should slip right out of the pan. Cool on a wire rack. Try to resist slicing it until it’s completely cooled.
Now THAT is much nicer than having three rapidly-turning-black bananas in your fruit bowl.
1 comment July 19th, 2006