Going Bananas

I eat a ridiculous amount of fruit - or, well, it seems like I do because on the whole most of us don't eat enough - around 4 to 5 portions a day (and then the same of veggies). I know I'm supposed to have more veggies than fruit, and I suspect I'll revert to that in the winter months, but right now there are nearly-almost-going-out-of-season cherries and strawberries, and just-going-exponentially-up-in-price mangos and grapes to be had. I may weep when cherries leave the shops for the winter, just sayin'.

I'm not made of money, though, and fruit, even in season, isn't super-cheap. Some fruits are cheaper than others - I always try to go for what's in season because it generally tastes better that way as well as being more economical but apples and bananas are usually consistently pretty affordable here.

Apples I'm avoiding for the moment, because they won't really be in season here for another month or more, so the fruit we currently have has been shipped in and chilled and mostly tastes like turnips. Cheap fruit is great, but I can't justify food miles on fruit that I'll do anything to avoid eating.

Bananas, however... Yes, they have horrendous food milage (I live in West central Scotland. Bananas are tropical. They don't swim here by themselves) but they are tremendously cheap, they're nutritious and I get fairtrade ones so that they're not screwing up the local economy where they're grown.

They're also delicious, when they're properly ripened, and the best way to do that is to buy them quite green (so they're firm enough to withstand transportation without bruising) and then hang them up.

I love my Banana Hanger - it keeps the ethylene gas out of my fruitbowl (so my other fruit doesn't over ripen in 20 seconds flat) and it allows the bananas to ripen evenly, with no dark patches where they've been resting. In fact, it lets them slowly turn that perfect, lightly freckled, yellow and they'll keep for around a week without getting too over-ripe. Perfect.


(Of course, if they do get over-ripe, and you do cakes, then just bung them in the freezer until you've got time to make banana loaf with them: 3 medium/2 large bananas, 150g (1 cup) Self-raising Flour(self rising), 150g (3/4 cup, if it's brown) some kind of sugar, 1 egg. Beat all ingredients bar the flour together, fold in the flour, stick in a lined 2lb loaf tin and bang in a 180C (350F/GM4) oven for about 25minutes (until a sharp knife comes out clean). Easy and delicious, but because of the lack of fat it doesn't keep terribly well. Darn. If you want small children to follow you about like the pied piper you can also chop up a mars bar and submerge it in the top of the mixture before you cook it.)

{This post contains amazon affiliate links. These links don't cost you any more but if you buy through them I get a few pennies}

Leave a Reply