I have heard differing opinions on whether we should consume bananas ripe or semi ripe.

What do you guys do?

X

i'm a ripe nana kinda girl

i find them much more satisfying when ripe

and much easier on my digestion

i think ripe bananas taste better too

I don't eat them often but I eat them when the skin is nearly black when I do.

I'd have to go ripe my friend. Ripe but not squishy!

-David Mason

Covered with brown spots is when bananas have peak nutritional value. And then if you dry or freeze them they seem even better.

I'll be the contrarian. I used to eat very ripe bananas, but now I believe that bananas that are "early ripe" are the best. Why? Bananas have LOTS of fruit sugar in them which quickly ferments after peak ripeness; very ripe bananas are almost certainly fermenting, and eating fermented bananas is a BAD idea. So IMO, better to eat them "early ripe" to avoid this possibility.

P.S. Next time you eat a very ripe banana, put the banana to your nose after taking a bite, and see if you don't smell alcohol/fermentation. Until I did this smell test, I had never known that these "perfectly ripe" bananas that I had been eating for so long were over-ripe. For me, the subtle fermentation was much easier to smell than taste.

Why is eating fermented bananas bad?

A friend told me yesterday (I have a baby who'll be eating soon) that her baby got an upset tummy from bananas unless they were verry ripe

She also gave me a tip about hand-cranked-baby-food-grinders, inexpensive and gets the stringyness out of bananas that a food processor wouldn't...I'm wondering if I could even use it for myself, will have to check it out...

blessings! Adrienne

I don't like them when they're overly ripe or if they're under ripe. I tried eating Panama bananas with lots of spots and they tasted fermented to me. I prefer them to be more on the yellow side. I also think it depends on where your bananas come from. California Bay Area bananas come from Equador and are tasteless unless they have lots of brown spots. In Cambridge, they are from Columbia, at least the ones I had were, and they were tasty without the spots. Panama bananas taste great without spots and are too ripe for me when there are too many spots. Of course, this is my opinion.

I think it's best to eat them when they taste good to us. That's when we'll get the most nutrition out of it. If the taste is unpleasant, I just toss it. Taste is completely individual. Good luck and enjoy!

Mona

So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains and we never even know we have the key.

thanks guys.
I prefer the taste of quite ripe bananas, but I have heard that they are too high in sugar and are past there prime nutritionally. I guess I'll opt for a mid point- a bit tasty but not too ripe/spotted...

I would guess that for the average (Cavendish) banana, prime ripeness is when the banana is still bright yellow with just a few brown spots. Past this point the banana will become sweeter, but fermentation may also begin.

blissmummy, eating fermented bananas could eventually create candida issues.

i have these issues!

I agree that smelling your food before you eat it is always a good idea. My cats ALWAYS smell their food first. Bananas are very sensitive/always changing and it seems that there is a very short period of time that they are "just right." It's the Goldilocks Principle!

Love,
Julie

Are spotty bananas always fermented? Does it depend on what kind of climate you live in?

Banana's reach their peak with they become spotted. This is when the potassium, that that are rich in, is made available to the body. Eating a banana that is unripe is like eating iceburg lettuce; no nutritional value. That's it. Ripe, or not at all.

Peace,

Marcos

Go Vegan for your life, your health, the planet and, most importantly, the animals that we share this wonderful world with!

Ripe, not ripe, overripe -- I LOVE my nanas. So do my kids. My wife hates them -- go figure. We used the Cuisinart Mini-prep food processor to grind the banans into baby food (no stringiness at all) It is also good for making banana ice cream (using frozen banans). Yum!

My husband and I have been growing bananas for over 15 years and this is what I always tell our customers when they ask,"how do I know when a banana is ready to eat?"

I tell them to hold the bunch up by the heel that the bananas are all connected to. If a banana is ripe enough to drop off the heel by itself, then it is ready to eat. Before that, the banana will be too starchy and more difficult to digest.

You might keep in mind that because our market is local, our banana stalks are harvested closer to ripe than the bananas shipped to the mainland. That may make a difference, although I don't think it will. Anyway, you might give that a try and see how it works for you.

Unfortunately, the banans that we get (Canada) are picked green and they will rot long before they will fall off the stem. However, I don't think we could bananas any other way.

I got this from an Email,
The benefits of eating bananas:

Bananas, containing three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose, combined with fiber, give an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression:
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana.. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS:
Forget the pills -- eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia:
High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect way to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power:
200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation:
High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers:
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system..

Heartburn:
Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness:
Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness..

Mosquito bites:
Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves:
Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work?
Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers:
The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control:
Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):
Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking:
Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress:
Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack..

Strokes:
According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine," eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around.. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"


Why Vegan?
Because I have the most love and admiration for all animals of the earth!!!
a rawvegan hopeful, rawdev4life!!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/24/2006 11:55PM by rawdev.

Green Bananas are very healthy. They don't digest as easily but they have other benefits as a prebiotic because of their indigestible starch.

"Bananas are an exceptionally rich source of fructooligosaccharide, a compound called a prebiotic because it nourishes probiotic (friendly) bacteria in the colon. These beneficial bacteria produce vitamins and digestive enzymes that improve our ability to absorb nutrients, plus compounds that protect us against unfriendly microorganisms. When fructooligosaccharides are fermented by these friendly bacteria, not only do numbers of probiotic bacteria increase, but so does the body's ability to absorb calcium. In addition, gastrointestinal transit time is lessened, decreasing the risk of colon cancer.

Green bananas contain indigestible (to humans) short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that are a favorite food of the cells that make up the lining of the intestines. When these cells are well-nourished and healthy, the body's ability to absorb nutrients such as calcium can increase dramatically."

[www.whfoods.com]

I eat bananas however they are when I have them and want to eat them. As long as I am able to open them with my hands then I eat them. When they won't open on their own by pulling back the top and require a knife to open it then I wait, unless I'm really desperate. I prefer them when they are bright yellow with just a tinge of green areas on them still. They might even have some brown specs starting to form but still some green too. I just think they taste so healthy that way. They don't mess up my blood sugar when they are that way and taste very smooth and solid. Not all mushy and weird and oversweet as they do when they are over-ripe. Although if my bananas get that way I will eat them, not toss them or anything. If a bunch are ripening too quick though I will freeze them to preserve them so I have more time to eat them. But yeah, yellow/green bananas are best!

And as far as potassium goes, there is a heck lot more potassium in an Avocado (which I devour) then in bananas. There is no shortage of potassium in a vegan diet.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/25/2006 07:28PM by nik.

Nice one Rawdev.