What is it?

The most popular fruit in the United States, bananas have a sweet, honey-like flavor and a comforting soft texture. A great source of potassium, bananas have a tough, inedible peel. Besides their familiar place as a snack, quick bread ingredient, and pancake addition, bananas are used in savory dishes such as stews in African and Caribbean cuisines.

Kitchen math:

1 lb. fresh = 3 to 4 medium = 2 cups sliced = 1 ¾ mashed

How to choose:

最广泛的用处able variety is Cavendish bananas. When ripe, they are a rich yellow with some brown spots. Look for bananas with no cracks or bruises. Buy ones tinged with green if you don’t plan to eat them right away.

How to prep:

A banana’s personality changes as it ripens. Here’s how to match its stage of ripeness with the right dish or technique:

Underripe banana:Best for stir-fries, stews, curries, substitute for plantains, deep frying		Barely ripe banana:Best for stews, curries, casseroles, deep frying		Ripe banana:Best for fruit salads, fruit tart toppings, bread or rice puddings, roasting

Very ripe banana:Best for ice cream sundaes, cheesecakes, trifles, fillings for French toast, crêpes, or sandwiches, broiling, grilling, or flambéing		Overripe banana:Best for smoothies, quick breads, pancakes or waffles, daquiris or other cocktails

How to store:

Keep bananas at room temperature; they will continue to ripen. Even very ripe or overripe bananas are good for some recipes (see suggestions above).

Recipes

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  Mango-Pineapple Smoothie Bowl

  Soaked cashews make this smoothie bowl extra creamy and lend a bit of protein. Look for coconut milk with the nondairy milks at the grocery store, either refrigerated or unrefrigerated.

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  Peanut Butter-Banana Smoothie

  This classic smoothie has all the perfect breakfast items blended into the perfect drink. Try it with almond or sunflower butter instead of peanut butter.

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  Recipe

  Bananas Foster Cream Pie

  新奥尔良的甜点香蕉培养灵感this riff on a classic banana cream pie. It features a layer of rum-spiked sautéed bananas under the traditional pudding filling, plus a…

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  Old-School Banana Cream Pie

  A layer of firm-ripe bananas hides under rich vanilla pudding and a mound of whipped cream. Classic. We've garnished it with peanuts, but you can omit them if you prefer.

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  Banana-Berry Smoothie

  This breakfast or snack-time smoothie is a great way to use the calcium-rich whey that's left over after you strain regular yogurt to make Greek yogurt.

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  Recipe

  Banana and Walnut Sticky Pudding with Salted Caramel Sauce

  For the final course of his holiday menu, chef Luke Thomas pairs two of his favorite things, bananas and sticky pudding, which is not a pudding in the American sense…

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  Recipe

  Salted Caramel Banana Sweet Rolls

  In these decadent sweet rolls, mashed banana is spread over the dough with the pecan-cinnamon-brown sugar filling. A dulce de leche glaze takes the tropical inspiration over the top.

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  Islas Flotantes

  In this tropical rendition of the classic French dessert île flottante (floating island), meringues are poached in a mixture of coconut milk and puréed fruit, instead of the traditional custard.

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  Recipe

  Chocolate & Caramelized Banana Tart

  Yes, you can even make fresh fruit tarts in deepest winter. A cocoa crust, chocolate-cream filling and shards of dark chocolate play off the bananas’ creamy sweetness. For best results,…

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  Recipe

  Tropical Fruit Tart

  A rum-laced banana cream filling and a coconut crust underscore the mango and pineapple topping this tart. For best results, chill the filled tart before topping it with the fruit;…