Just throw them in the freezer, unpeeled.
Then you can make small amounts of stuff, when you feel like it.

Toss them into smoothies.
Make banana bread later.
Thaw and mash for adding to muffins (you can sub bananas for part of the oil to "healthify" them...grin).
Add one to some chocolate pudding.
Banana/peanut butter ice cream (or yogurt)??

Deanna

You might think about a banana sorbet if you have an ice cream maker.

Here is a recipe that doesn't even need an ice cream maker (see link).

This one sounds even better:

Banana Orange Frozen Sorbet (from Recipezaar)

By: KITTENCAL
Mar 28, 2006

Except for the small amount of fat in the bananas, there is hardly any fat in this recipe, and it's very very refreshing! If you don't have an ice cream maker you can spread the mixture into a shallow pan and freeze, just give it a stir with a fork every 45 minutes, once it gets fairly firm, briefly toss it in a blender to break up the ice crystals and then refreeze.

SERVES 6 -8 (change servings and units)
Change to: Servings US Metric Close
Ingredients

* 1 cup sugar (can use more)
* 1 cup water
* 3 ripe bananas
* 2 cups orange juice (sweetened or unsweetened, fresh OJ is better to use but bottled is fine)

Directions

1. In a saucepan combine sugar and water; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until all the sugar is dissolved.
2. Remove from heat, let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until col.
3. Put the bananas in a blender along with the orange juice and cold sugar/water syrup; blend until smooth.
4. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturers directions or place in a shallow pan.

Both have more sugar that I'd want but I bet you can cut it down to your taste.

Here is a link that might be useful: 'Nana sorbet

I learned about freezing them for later use here on CF. I already have several frozen ones. I kinda want to make something to eat now.

Banana toast, was a favorite of my GS's when he was little.

Take two slices of bread, butter lightly, put in oven at 350 to crisp the bread up a bit.

While that is in the oven, mash half a banana (for 2 slices of bread) with a little bit of cinnamon, and sugar if you think it needs it.

Spread on bread, return to oven until bananas are heated.
Very tasty.

Oooo, Glenda, that sounds good. I have acouple of speckly bananas at home. I may give that a try.

**DISCLAIMER**
I did not research this information, it was sent to me thru an email and since we were talking bananas here, I just thought I'd share it with you all.

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve
your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to
reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The
report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and
twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A banana a day keeps the doctor away!'

Shaun, thanks for making me feel GREAT about my morning habit: every morning I eat a banana as part of my breakfast. I always knew it was a good source of potassium and fiber, but I didn't know all that other stuff. I'm happy to learn that I can freeze them, too.

DonnaR/CA

Sliced bananas and strawberries with milk and sugar is delicious.

Banana "ice cream."

Peel, chunk, and freeze. Run frozen chunks in food processor until ice-cream-like. Refreeze.

Really ripe bananas shouldn't even need sugar, but you can add compatible flavors like vanilla, rum, or coconut, or whatever else you'd enjoy with the strong banana flavor. And chopped nuts or other inclusions are nice too.

And there is always the compost bin...

Mashed banana on waffles or French Toast is yummy.

"many felt much better after eating a banana"

*snicker*

....ummm Houseguests! yes probably forum house guests got on my computer and did this...

lpink I am dutifully sitting on my bananas ooops I mean my hands

If I let my "over ripe" nanners go to long, my roses love to eat them for me, I cut them up into chunks and dig a little hole next to the plants, toss em in, cover em over and my roses gulp them down and smile :) (by giving me pretty flowers all the time).

Banana Daiquiris?

2 ounces light rum
1/2-ounce banana liqueur
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 small banana, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup crushed ice

Combine all ingredients in an electric blender and blend at high speed until smooth. Pour into a large saucer champagne or similar glass.

Banana daquiris, now you're talking!! My compost bin is on hiatus, it has indigestion from all the stuff I keep feeding it. Being single and working all the time means I don't have that much quality kitchen time and I have lots of stuff go bad on me.

I plan on making some kind of new muffins over the weekend and will report back. I eat a lot of muffins with my coffee. Muffins are something I can eat in the car without too many crumbs, lol!

Being 48 and single, it is taking a lot of restraint here to keep my lips closed about old bananas. I appreciate your efforts too Jessey!

What was wrong with me back then, Jessey is my third cousin, Jessy is the evil one!!

I'm reviving this thread because I just made my new banana muffin recipe. Yumm. And I found an old banana-blueberry muffin recipe that might be nice for this time of year. But I must say, thawed frozen black bananas stretches the imagination of what should be considered edible!

BANANA-COCONUT MUFFINS
adapted from Bon Appetit, March 1999

3/4 c whole wheat flour
3/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 medium-large very ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract (I did not have the extract, so I added 1/3 cup chopped toasted almonds--tasted even better, IMHO)
1 large egg
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup 1% milk
3/4 cup shredded coconut (I used 2/3 cup)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 12-cup regular muffin tin with nonstick cook spray or line with liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt, making sure to break up any lumps from the baking powder.

In a medium bowl mash the bananas to a consistency of your liking. Add the extracts, egg, butter and milk and stir gently to combine. Stir in the shredded coconut.

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the banana mixture. Stir gently until just combined; do not overmix. Divide the muffin mixture evenly among the prepared cups.

Bake at 350 for about 25-30 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean when inserted into the center of a muffin. Let cool in the tin about 5 minutes and then remove to a rack to cool. Eat warm or at room temperature.

Banana-Blueberry Muffins
Makes 12 muffins. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line or grease muffin tins.

1 cup mashed banana
3/4 cup non-fat yogurt
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 egg whites from large eggs (or 1 egg if you're fussy about throwing out the yolks)
2 TBLSP vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups oat bran flake cereal (I think I have also used rolled oatmeal)
1 1/4 cups unsifted AP flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup blueberries, washed and sorted and dried

Mix wet ingredients and oat bran cereal. Let stand 5 min.
Add other ingredients, spoon into muffin tins.
Bake 20-25 min. until golden and done in the middle.

I just found these and they look good also:
Exported from MasterCook *

Banana-Nut Bars

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 24 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Bars Cookies

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup sugar
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 medium)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Cream Cheese Frosting
3 ounces cream cheese -- softened
1/3 cup butter or margarine -- softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350. Grease rectangular pan, 13 Ã 9 Ã 2 inches.
Mix sugar, bananas, oil and eggs in large bowl with spoon.
Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir in nuts.
Spread batter in pan.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool completely.
Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.
Cut into 6 row by 4 rows.
Store covered in refrigerator.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING: Mix cream cheese, butter and vanilla in medium bowl.
Gradually beat in powdered sugar with spoon until smooth and spreadable

I learned to make banana jam from an older neighbor. Just made it like raspberry preserves, just less sugar. The kids loved it as an ice cream topping and with peanut butter sandwiches.

I use my overripe bananas to make awesome smoothies that are really refreshing during the summer. Peel the chunk the bananas & freeze them.

Smoothie Recipe
1 cup non fat yogurt
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup Splenda
1 frozen banana
1 cup of other frozen fruit of your choice (I have used blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, mango, etc.)

Blend first three ingredients in blender. Add & blend the banana. Slowly add the other fruit unti well blended.

ENJOY! (Yields 2 tall servings)

How about 1 more recipe. These are like healthy granola bars, good for morning breakfast, better as a snack and great for an afternoon healthy sweet treat at work. They are semi sweet. It takes only 30 mins. from start to finish.

This is not my recipe, I added a thing or two but it was found floating on the internet (from JenTaylor). I normally double this recipe which makes about 21-22 slightly large cookies.

No Sugar All Natural Oatmeal Cookies

Dry ingredients:
1 1/2 cups oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Moist ingredients:
2 bananas
5 Tbs oil

My own additional ingredients:
1/2 tsp of fresh grated nutmeg
Instead of chopped pecans ('cause the oats is already semi-crunchy), 1/4 cup of dried golden raisins or dried cranberries (I know, it has some sugar but it's the ninja fruit!) or a mixture of both.
For additional sweetness, add 1 Tbs. of honey or more to your taste.

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Using a spatula, mix all the dry ingredients in one bowl. In another bowl, mash up the bananas, oil and honey (optional). With the same spatula, combine the dry and moist ingredients and mix until all the dry ingredients are moist. Drop by heap spoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

I heard that you can substitute the bananas and oil with unsweeted apple sauce but I haven't tried it out yet.

I normally keep them in a ziplock bag and in the fridge for long life. Before snacking, I reheat in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds.

Enjoy!

Thanks all!! This is a great thread because I almost always have extra bananas on hand!

This is my first post to this forum, and something we do is grill bananas. You can peel them and grill them or you can grill them (probably how I would do overripe ones) right in the skin.

For in-the-skin bananas, just lay them on the grill (I would guess a medium heat) until they are heated through. Place them on a platter and slit them down the middle. My dh likes to drizzle the innards with maple syrup and crunchy peanut butter.

Judi

Welcome to the Cooking Forum, Judi. My girls would like those grilled bananas, they always did them in the campfire with marshmallows and chocolate, this would be a good change.

Annie

_Welcome to the Cooking Forum, Judi. My girls would like those grilled bananas, they always did them in the campfire with marshmallows and chocolate, this would be a good change.Annie_

Yum, that sounds good, too. I'll have to pass that one along. And thank you for the welcome.