The recipe I have been using (I lost my mom's, my dad gave that book to someone else, but this one sounds right -- it's all in 3s), sounds like it might be something you would like to try. I was thinking the baking powder with the buttermilk might also be an improvement. My mom's had you cream the butter and sugar, add mashed bananas, sift the dry ingredients, then add alternately with the buttermilk. The new one I found said you could dump everything in the mixer bowl, blend and go. I have tried that and have also hybridized the process -- creamed the butter and sugar, then add the bananas and the other stuff. It all works -- just don't over mix it. 2 1/3 c all purpose flour 1 2/3 c sugar 1 1/4 c mashed bananas (about 2) 2/3 c softened butter or margarine 2/3 c finely chopped nuts (I use pecans (Texas and all), but walnuts work too) 2//3 c buttermilk 1 1/4 tsp baking soda 1 1/4 tsp baking powder 3/4 tsp salt 3 eggs You can use either mixing method and bake at 350. I make muffins more often than loaves lately -- you can bake this as mini muffins, standard muffins, loaves, a 13x9 cake or even layers.

Lou, my daughter's best friends mom, made this, and we have adopted the recipe: Banana Bread 2 c sugar 1/2 c oil (I use grape seed oil, as that is the only one in my house) 2 eggs 3 c flour 1 pinch salt 1/2 c buttermilk 1 to 1 1/2 t baking soda 3 to 4 ripe bananas mashed 1/2 c nuts (optional) Cream sugar and oil, add eggs, flour, salt, buttermilk (mix the buttermilk and baking soda together) mix and finally bananas and nuts. Pour in to greased bread pans (we use small ones, makes three). Bake at 350 degree for about 1 hour, top should be split. and then there is the Zucchini Chocolate Cake I used to have the Zucchini listed as secret ingredient, cause that was the only way I could get my girls to eat it. :) t=teaspoon T=Tablespoon c=cup (German measure) 2 1/2 c unsifted flour (370gramm) 1/2 c cocoa (60 gramm) 2 1/2 t soda (1 Paeckchen Backpulver) 1 t salt (1 Prise) 1 t cinnamon 3/4 c margarine or butter (ca. 160 gramm) 2 c sugar (400 gramm) 3 eggs 2 t vanilla 2 t grated orange peel (optional) 2 c shredded zucchini (1/2 Liter) 1/3 c milk (ca. 1/15 liter oder 70 gramm) 1 c nuts (optional) 350 degree oven (ca. Mittlehitze?) mix first 3 ingredients, set aside Beat margarine and add the next 5 ingredients and add the flour mixture and milk. Mix well. Pour in to greased and floured bundt cake form (springform). Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Cool in pan for about 15 minutes and then take it out of the pan to let cool the rest. Drizzle with icing if desired. Icing 2 c powdered sugar 3 T milk Really yummy with a dollop of whipping cream on top. :)

The food charts I have for how long you can keep bananas in the freezer gave no amounts of time, and one said "extended freezer time" - whatever that means (LOL). I guess the goal should be to use the frozen bananas in a timely manner (few months), but I was moving some things around in my refrigerator freezer and I found several ripe bargain bananas that were quick-frozen then placed in a FoodSaver bag, vacuum-sealed shut -- early last summer and promptly forgotten about. I made them into banana bread the other day for yet one more offering to the "throngs" for breakfast during their Christmas visit. When you vacuum-seal peeled bananas (or most food destined for freezer storage), they will last longer than in a typical storage bag because they are stored oxygen-free. Oxygen-free storage prevents the moisture inside the food from migrating from the surface of the food into the bag, drying out or creating ice crystals in the bag. A food science tidbit about using overly-ripe bananas for banana bread. When a banana bread recipe only calls for baking soda as the only chemical leavening, overly-ripe bananas are not as acid (6.5-7.0 pH) as a regular banana (4.6 pH) in order to react in partnership with the baking soda. The reaction may be a weak one resulting in a heavy banana bread. A good banana bread recipe, one that ensures adequate leavening, will use both baking powder and baking soda. If the recipe only has baking soda, make sure a portion of the bananas aren't overly-ripe, or there is another ingredient in the recipe that provides an acid ingredient. That could be some lemon juice added to the bananas to keep them from oxidizing and turning dark, orange juice, honey used as the sweetener, or yogurt, sour cream or buttermilk, which are all acid foods that will react with the baking soda. -Grainlady

It should be fine either way. I like a lighter bread so I drain off the liquid, but if you prefer the more moist, dense bread, include it. Somewhere I read a recipe where they microwaved the bananas to get the liquid off. An alternative was to freeze, then separate the liquid. If I remember correctly, they boiled the drained liquid to half, this was to increase the banana flavor. I keep meaning to try that part of it, but always forget.