December, January, February, March
Did you know...A publication in Angewandte Chemie by Moser et al. (2008) mentions a recent and surprising finding. Ripe bananas exhibit a blue fluorescence when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light (Black light). This property has been overlooked for a long time. Green bananas do not show any sign of fluorescence. The cause is attributed by the authors to the degradation of chlorophyll giving rise to the accumulation of a fluorescent product in the skin of the fruit. 
banana DescriptionThe banana is the fruit of a pseudo stem plant, grown from an approximately 7 m high corm. The plant was domesticated in Southeastern Asia and archaeological discoveries have shown that cultivation of the wild variety dated since 500 BC. The fruit can be very tasty when ripe and eaten raw, but it is also a common ingredient in some cuisines as unripe fruits. The texture varies from firm to mushy while the taste is sweet when ripe (that is when than color is bright yellow, sometimes even purple or red) and starchy when unripe (the color may seem greenish). Fruit SelectionLook for plump, firm, and brightly colored bananas. Occasional brown spots on the skin are normal. Avoid sunken, moist-looking dark areas, split skins or stems. Recommended StorageBananas that require ripening should be left at room temperature, but away from heat or direct sun. To speed ripening, place them in a closed paper bag. Once ripe bananas can be held at room temperature for a day or two. Refrigerate to slow down ripening. Although the skins will turn dark, the fruits will remain edible. Keep refrigerated bananas for up to two weeks. Do not refrigerate unripe bananas because the exposure to cold interrupts their ripening cycle. |
