Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

Advice requested please on storage of bananas until they become yellow and edible.

Have just had first crop of bananas. The bunch has fallen from the tree. All the bananas have yet to turn yellow.

Is there a special way to look after them or do I just put them in a cool room (if i can find one) and wait for them to mature.

Joe

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Mmmmmhhhh.....I want to know that too!!!!!!!!

Try putting them in the dark, in a drawer. That's what I used to do.

Place your bananas in a paper bag,wrap/close the bag along with an apple or pear,the gas that either gives of will ripen the banana's

Simples!




David

If anyone is interested I have a book of receipies for bannanas, including using green bannanas. You will need to photocopy.

If you Google 'Banana Recipes', you get 2,170,00 results...

There are 318 recipes on this page alone Banana recipes - that'll save on the photo-copying!

Whew! - I'm all banana'd out now

Are you sure they are bananas - most here are plantains. While there is no essential difference, plantains do not gain the sweetness of bananas until they are black. They are used more for cooking and are usually used green.

If we get a large bunch of bananas 20-30 kgs, we split into two or three pieces.

On piece is placed in a warm room with sunlight, to aid ripening. The other pieces are stored as cool as possible to prevent having 30 kgs of bananas at once.

The local growers use calcium carbide (locally known as dash)which is used to produce acetylene gas. The end of the branch is hollowed out and the calcium carbide stone is put into the hole then covered with a plastic bag. this aids ripening too.

A word of caution, acetylene gas is explosive so take care. Avoid naked flames.

When we had banana plants we used to hollow out the end of the branch then pour sugar in the space and put the plug back in. This helps sweeten the bananas. Then place in black bags and keep in a darkened place. No need for dash and at least doing it this way is less dangerous.

When we bought bananas at the market, they were always stored in a warm room, unless they were very ripe.

Banoffie pie freezes well

foodie wrote:When we had banana plants we used to hollow out the end of the branch then pour sugar in the space and put the plug back in. This helps sweeten the bananas. Then place in black bags and keep in a darkened place. No need for dash and at least doing it this way is less dangerous.

This is what we do and we have had marvellous crops for the last few years. My husband often strings up the branch in the garage covered in a bin bag. If we have massive gluts we skin the bananas then wrap them individually in foil and freeze. Marvellous sliced up on top of porridge where they then slowly melt

By the way ours are definitely bananas and not plantain.

Very many thanks for your replies. They really are appreciated.

I am following your suggestions, except for the acetylene.............. don't want my bananas flambeyed yet............. and am looking forward to enjoying the harvest.

Joe

You could always barter with others who have products that you don't have?

Moyra