WHAT IS A BANANA?
This tropical fruit is technically a berry. However some people consider bananas to be an herb. That is because these seeds are the product of a plant, not a tree. But as plants go this one can grow up to 50 feet (15 meters) in height. There are over a 1,000 varieties of bananas and they come in a range of colors as well. It is a food source that’s been around for 10,000 years. These trees do look like refugees from a much older age.
WHY ARE BANANAS GOOD FOR YOU?
They are famous for being rich in potassium. Athletes suffering from muscle cramps will immediately prescribe a banana. However this fruit actually has less potassium then a number of other foods including carrots, apricots and bell peppers. There is also some debate regarding this fruit since they also are rich in carbohydrates and sugar. The human body converts carbohydrates into sugar, which is why bananas are discouraged as a snack for diabetics.
WHEN ARE BANANAS IN SEASON?
There is no specific season as bananas take 9 to 12 months to mature. They are available year-round.
HOW SHOULD BANANAS BE STORED?
Store bananas together (still in a bunch) at room temperature. If you place them too close to other ripening fruit rich in ethylene gas, your bananas will ripen at a much faster pace. And as they mature bananas bruise more easily. So hanging them is always ideal. But if you can’t hang them, store your fruit upside down in a bowl. This minimizes the points of contact between the peel and the container. Once they’re ripe, refrigerate them. When the banana peel darkens, the flesh of this fruit will still be good for several days. And if you want to freeze your bananas, peel them first and wrap them in saran wrap to prevent moisture loss.
WHAT IS THE PROPER WAY TO PEEL A BANANA?
Click here to see how the real banana opening experts (monkeys) do it!
MY BANANA REPUBLIC CLOTHING STORE USED TO BE AN UNSTABLE SOVEREIGN NATION?
The term was originally coined by the author O. Henry in the early 1900s. It described countries like Honduras which had virtually no middle class and whose economy was heavily dependent on one or two core commodities (like bananas)! To read more about this click here!