Eat fresh in hand. Fruit salads, accompaniment to meat and curry dishes. Overripe bananas can be peeled, tightly wrapped and frozen. Mash and use in cakes, muffins, pikelets and milk shakes.
Varieties
- Lady Finger: small plump banana with a sweet distinctive flavour.
- Cavendish: the most common type of banana.
- Gold Finger: looks like a Cavendish and tastes like a Lady Finger.
- Plantain and Red Dacca: large cooking bananas.
Selection
Choose firm unblemished fruit and only purchase for immediate requirements, particularly in summer.
Storage
Ideal temperature is 13 – 18 ºC. Do not store under refrigeration as the skin will blacken.
Preparation
Once peeled, brush the fruit with citrus juice to prevent discolouration.
Cooking
Cook bananas in skins on a hot barbecue, turning until the skins are black and banana flesh is soft.
Serving suggestion
Banana chunk rolled in lemon juice and coarsely grated coconut make a cooling accompaniment to a hot curry.
Bananas rolled in desiccated coconut and frozen on a stick are a sweet treat for children of all ages.
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