So yesterday...literally...I was at the big box store grabbing some milk.....gasp! I know... I don't have any fresh milk coming in on the farm, so I had to go buy some! Can't wait for that delicious fresh milk again! Anyway... as I was browsing through the grocery department I came across these bananas. Yes... they do look a bit on the ripe side, but they were over 1/2 off! And Organic! Not that I buy all organic or anything, but .... what a deal! I've kinda been in the dehydrating mood lately anyway... so this was an excuse to grab a few bundles and break out my machine!
How do you all peal your bananas? Like the monkeys and I do? from the opposite side of the stem? I learned this trick many years ago, and it sure does help with not squishing those "ripe" or even "over-ripe" bananas!
I mean, just look how nice this banana came right out of the skin! No broken bits or smooshed ends!
Now, you can slice these delicious fruits however you decide, but I chose to use a slicer to get more uniform and even pieces! This just makes it easier to have all your dehydrating done at the same approximate time. It also looks nice if you're going to be sharing!
In the past I've always used some sort of citric acid powder or lemon juice to help the fruit keep it's color. For fresh fruit salads or pizzas I'll even use a lemon lime soda to keep things from turning that brown tinge. I'm sure that fresh lemon juice would be fabulous, but I knew that there was this bottle of juice sitting in the fridge needing to be used... so this is the choice of the day!
Well, it was the choice until my inquisitive nature took over and I wanted to see what might happen if I just left the bananas alone to dry without the acid! I mean, even though I did use a whisk to stir and strain the banana slices, they were still quite wet and kinda slimy! I was curious to see if they'd dry quicker, and if the color really did make a difference!
Well, here they are before dehydrating. They sure look nice! But what about when you put the dipped ones next to the unzipped ones, can you all tell which is which? Ok, Ill tell you... the ones on the left are dipped. To me, they look a bit more yellow. Is it the lemon juice adding the color? The ones on the right were just cut, and certainly not turning brown!
Again, the ones that were dipped are on the left. They both are dry. They both taste AMAZING! But again, when you put them side by side you can distinctively tell the color difference. The dipped ones look more "store bought" and what you'd typically expect to see from dehydrated banana slices! I'm not sure they will stick around long enough to tell about freshness, but that would certainly be a key on long term storage!
How many of you have dehydrated bananas? What things have you done to experiment with them? Maybe you got all wild and crazy and dipped them in spices? Marinated them in some flavorings? Please, do tell! I want to read all about it in the comments. Maybe I will be inspired to try something new from you!
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