Puree frozen banana with a dash of milk or plant-based drink and you get 'banana nice cream'. — dpa
Bananas sometimes go overripe and soft all of a sudden, but even if you prefer them firm, you needn’t throw them away. At this stage, they are sweeter than ever, making them a great ingredient for a range of dishes.
Added to biscuits and waffles, soft bananas make them as juicy as banana bread.
They also add a sweet flavour and provide vitamins when added to homemade muesli bars or if you make granola in the oven. Puree bananas with a little oil, then mix them with crunchy oats and nuts and bake it all in the oven until it’s nice and crispy.
You can also use a ripe banana to replace two eggs in baking recipes, a helpful substitute particularly for vegans.
Try also freezing thin slices of banana in freezer bags. If you then puree them while they are frozen with a dash of milk or plant-based drink, that creates “banana nice cream” – an extra creamy alternative to regular ice cream.
If you find the banana flavour is a bit too strong, mix some in cocoa powder, peanut butter and/or another frozen fruit.
Frozen bananas are not only good for ice cream, but are also delicious in milkshakes or smoothies. For a lassi, puree them with yoghurt, a little lemon juice and milk. Add ice cubes to make your lassi even more refreshing.
Bear in mind that the riper your bananas, the more fructose they produce.
If all this has you wishing you had some soft bananas handy, then try this trick to help them ripen. Just place apples next to them and watch them develop – it will make for very sweet bananas when they are overripe. You can try using them to replace household sugar in many recipes. – dpa
