Mimzy on How to Use Ripe Bananas

recipe you can follow the one on the Nilla Wafer box, or find one at the myriad of online recipe sites. The best banana pudding recipes do not use packaged pudding mix. Look for the ones that have you mix the sugar, flour, cornstarch, eggs and milk together on the stove top to make your own pudding base from scratch. You can absolutely tell the difference between banana pudding made with packaged pudding and the ones made from scratch.

 

Fruit smoothies and milkshakes are also better with ripe bananas. Again, the sweetness factor is much higher with the ripe bananas and you can taste it in the smoothies. We like to add blueberries, when they are in season and strawberries when they aren’t. I prefer to make mine with ice cream, which my daughter insists is not a smoothie, but a milkshake. Add your ice cream first and blend it a little before adding your bananas and berries. Add milk when you add your fruit and mix everything together in a blender or a smoothie maker. If you’re a purist, make your ripe banana smoothie with berries and orange or pineapple juice for a refreshing treat.

 

I also love a ripe banana sandwich. Spread mayonnaise onto two slices of your favorite bread and slice bananas lengthwise for a quick sandwich. Some people enjoy peanut butter instead of mayonnaise for a completely different taste. Hard, almost green bananas do not make a good sandwich, nor do bananas that are too soft. The best banana sandwiches include perfectly ripened bananas that are not quite ready to make pudding and super fresh bread that’s nice and soft.

 

Barely ripe bananas make great popsicles when they are dipped in chocolate. The bananas should be firm enough to stay on a stick and ripe enough to be tasty. Peel the bananas and cut about an inch off of one end. Insert popsicle sticks or skewers into the cut end, leaving enough of the stick exposed to use as a handle. Place the bananas on a tray covered with wax paper and freeze them for at least an hour. Melt semisweet chocolate as a dip for the frozen bananas. Add nuts, sprinkles or granola for an extra special treat. 

 

 

Another way to make good use of your ripe bananas is to make banana bread. I’ve found several easy banana bread recipes online, some call for walnuts and others just use ripe bananas. However you make your bread, you’ll love the warm, sweet smell of homemade banana bread as it bakes. Wake your family up on Saturday morning with fresh baked banana bread for breakfast or make several loaves and freeze them to enjoy anytime.