Do you ever leave a banana on your counter for too long and before you know it turns from green to yellow and eventually brown? This is the result of time, temperature and chemical reactions.
When bananas are green they are usually harder in texture, less sweet and more acidic. At this point the taste is not very desirable. As they ripen, they turn yellow and become sweeter and softer. This is due to a hormone called ethylene which starts the ripening process by breaking down the complex sugars into simple sugars.
However, as bananas continue to ripen they turn brown. This process is called enzymatic browning. Once this starts to occur the banana is still edible and has many uses! If your bananas turn brown and are too soft, you can peel them and put them in the freezer for later use or mash them and add them to your banana bread recipe!
Banana Bread
Makes: 1 loaf
Ingredients:
1/3 cup softened butter
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
3 bananas
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
Method:
In a large bowl add the butter and sugar. Mix with a fork.
Mash the bananas with a fork.
Add the eggs and mashed banana to the butter and sugar.
In a medium bowl add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix together,
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix together and add vanilla.
Add optional 1/3 cup of chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 60 minutes.