How Many Bananas in a Cup?

A banana is a fruit originally from Southeast Asia that grows on tall “trees” that are actually herbs, as they do not have a trunk.

Bananas grow in large bunches, with each bunch consisting of several “hands” of bananas. They are called hands because they resemble hands. Most bananas on a hand will ripen at the same time and only be good for a few days at most, so only buy as many bananas as you can use in a few days.

They contain starch when they are green that changes to sugar as they ripen.

Bananas are not only classified as fruit but also in the subcategory of berries. Plantains, which are starchier and less sweet, are a type of banana.

For an item to be called a fruit, it must come from the ovary part of a flowering plant and hold the seeds.

There are over 100 varieties, but almost all the bananas sold in stores are Cavendish bananas. Ladyfingers, candy apple bananas and red bananas are sometimes available depending on where you live, and are smaller and sweeter than Cavendish bananas.

Bananas are elongated cylindrical fruits, often with flat sides, 6 to 12 inches long. They are green when unripe, yellow or red when ripe, and brown or black when overripe or after being stored in the refrigerator.

They have a starchy dry mouthfeel when unripe, and are sweet and creamy when ripe. When overripe, they have a mushy texture and a mildly tangy fermented taste.

Bananas are delicious eaten right out of the peel. They can be sliced to top breakfast cereal or peanut butter sandwiches. They are mashed and used in breads, cakes, and pudding, and can be treated with sugar and flambeed in Bananas Foster.

Because of their sweetness, they are used almost exclusively in sweet applications. In the Philippines, banana ketchup is a common condiment. Banana peels are infrequently used in savory recipes and as a substitute for meat in some vegan recipes, like banana peel bacon or curry. The peels can be used to wrap meats as they cook to keep them moist.

The flowers are also edible.

Applesauce, avocado, ground and cooked oatmeal, cooked mashed sweet potatoes or pumpkin, or Greek yogurt or ripe plantains can be substituted for mashed banana in some baking recipes. Substitute ½ cup for each banana.

You may need to add sugar or honey to mimic the banana’s sweetness, and banana extract to get banana flavor.

Greek yogurt, mango, or cooked oatmeal can replace bananas in smoothies. You can replace eggs, butter and oil in baking recipes with mashed banana. Use the same volume of banana as the original ingredient calls for.

Any of these substitutions may change the texture of the final product.

Some dogs and cats enjoy bananas as a treat. As with any food that your pet doesn’t normally eat, only feed small amounts. Some omnivore birds and reptiles also enjoy fresh bananas and banana peels cut into small pieces. Do not feed dried bananas as they pose a choking hazard.

Some people complain of gas and bloating after eating bananas, because of their high fiber and sorbitol (a sugar alcohol) content. Of course, the more bananas you eat, the more likely they are to cause gas.

Here's how we discovered to store bananas for freshness.

Bananas purchased from the grocery store are often underripe (green), and ripen quickly at room temperature. They will usually ripen in 2-3 days and be good for 2-3 days. After that, they will develop brown or black spots, and the flavor changes as the sugars ferment.

They can be stored for a few days in the refrigerator once they are ripe. The peels will turn black, but the fruit will still be good.

If bananas ripen and you aren't ready to use them, they can be mashed and frozen for later use, usually in baked items.

Unripe bananas should not be refrigerated, because they will not ripen, even after they are taken out of the fridge.

To ripen bananas more quickly, put them in a brown paper bag with an already ripe fruit like an apple.

It’s best to cut bananas as you need them, because they will turn brown and soften quickly once sliced. You can put lime or lemon juice on them and wrap them snugly to prevent air from getting to them and store them in the fridge for 2-3 days. The citrus juice will affect the flavor.

If you have ripe bananas you aren't ready to use, they can be stored in the fridge for a few days. The skin will turn very dark, but the fruit will stay good longer than at room temperature.

Bananas can be frozen whole (peeled or unpeeled) or mashed, but the texture will change and they will only be good for recipes that call for mashed bananas. Be sure to put them in a plastic bag to help prevent freezer burn and to prevent them from leaking juice if your freezer thaws for any reason.

Peel the banana by separating the peel at the stem end (sometimes a small knife is necessary to split the top, and then strips of the peel are pulled down the sides of the banana one at a time.

Lay the banana on a cutting board and slice it with a small paring knife. Bananas are usually sliced crosswise into disks for convenient bite sized pieces, but for some presentations they are sliced lengthwise into long slabs.

Break the peel at the stem end and pull the strips down the sides of the banana. There may be small strings inside the peel that run down the length of the banana. They are usually very astringent, and removing any loose strings will make eating the banana more pleasant.

Bananas are normally peeled before eating the flesh. However, the peel can be baked into a vegan bacon and is used in other vegan dishes and some Asian and Indian dishes.

Remove the peel first by splitting it at the stem end. On ripe bananas, the peel will break when the firm part of the stem is bent away from the banana. If it doesn't break, cut halfway through the stem with a small paring knife.

Then pull off the peel in strips from the top down to the bottom and discard them. Remove and discard any loose strings on the outside of the banana.

Bananas are usually sliced crosswise into disks for convenient bite sized pieces, but they can be sliced lengthwise for a dramatic presentation for dishes like Bananas Foster.

Bananas can be chopped or cubed by slicing along the length of the banana after removing the peel, then cutting across the banana.

Not relevant to bananas

Not relevant to bananas.

Normally the peel from citrus fruit is zested to add some additional flavor punch to your dish. Banana peels do not give you the same effect.

Remove the peel by bending the stem away from the banana to break the peel, then pull down in strips from top to bottom. Remove any loose strings on the outside of the banana. Discard the peel.

Ripe or overripe bananas can be placed into a bowl or measuring cup and mashed with a potato masher. They can also be mashed in a food processor.

Not relevant

Oftentimes bananas are added to other fruit in order to make a naturally sweet and flavorful juice. After peeling the banana, cut it up into hunks and put into your electric juicer.

If you don't have a juicer, you can puree the bananas in your food processor with other juices until thin enough to drink.

Bananas have barely visible, soft, dark colored seeds. They do not need to be removed. They are usually sterile and you can’t grow a new banana plant from them.

Banana leaves are inedible, but are used as wraps to steam fish and other meats.