Going
Bananas Over Bananas
Copyright
© 2011 Wayne Pickering
I buy a lot of
bananas, and I was watching some folks pick a bunch the other day and couldn’t
help but think that I needed to write an article on how to pick a banana. Now,
who would’ve ever thought there is a technique to pick a banana? I always buy
them when they still have some green color on them. They’re a unique fruit in
that they ripen after they’re picked. Most fruits are not like that. I always
choose the shorter, fatter bananas, as they just seem to have a better flavor.
And here’s a
little trick when you’re picking them out: look at the bottom end of the banana
(not the end where the stem is, but the other end) and make sure it has the
fattest end of them all and that will be a good sign. Also, the thinner the
skin, the better. And they are in season most of the year, which is rare for
most fruits.
When I store
them, I always store them at room temperature and I set them down sort of
“upside-down” if you will — so that both ends are touching the surface. It’s
best to avoid having the middle of the banana touch the storage surface in a
“hammock-like” fashion, as that will tend to bruise them more. Using one of
those banana hangers you can pick up in many grocery stores or kitchen places is
a good idea, too.
I always buy
about 10 pounds a week, as they are one of those higher-ranked foods on the
human food chain. The fiber in them is soluble and not a fiber that the body
has to deal with in an energy-draining sort of way. You’re probably thinking,
how in the world do I keep them from going bad? It’s easy; when they are almost
ready, I put them into the fridge and they last for at least a week to 10 days.
And wait to eat
them until they get a few brown spots on the peel, as that is the indication
that the starch in the fruit is turning to sugar. We refer to those spots as
sugar spots. Now that doesn’t mean they have to be soft and slimy, just a few
spots and then they’re ready for your dining pleasure. Green bananas are almost
toxic to the body; they should have a golden-yellowish color to them or they
are of little to no value to the body nutritionally.
And by the way,
bananas yield more per acre (approx. 30,000 pounds) than any other fruit …
almost twice as much as apples yield per acre. Bananas also are an awesome way
to replenish your energy reserves after an athletic event as they have a high
Glycemic Index (meaning they get to the body in the form of energy a lot
quicker than most other carbohydrate foods) and they just give you that “AAAH”
feeling! A wonderful food to nourish the heart and they’re one of the finest
foods you can eat. Enjoy them!
Hope you enjoyed
that banana “backgrounder.” And if you really want to live abundantly in good
health, I encourage you to tune into www.HealthAtLastRadio.com
every day 24/7 and I
promise you, you’ll learn something new and will have your thinking on some
subjects challenged. It’s part of our series on www.HowtoGetWellthenStayWellforLife.com — an 11-part Q&A that will help you
approach life with just that kind of attitude.
All the best.
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