It is often possible to save what we believe to be household scraps from the trash. Don’t throw away old bananas either – they’re a great home remedy.
In summer, bananas brown more quickly. Along with the color, the taste and consistency of the fruits also change. But that’s no reason to throw them away. If you don’t like eating bananas that are very brown and therefore sweet as they are, there are other possibilities for reusing them.
Do not throw them away in any case: Use old brown bananas at home
The most obvious, many consumers have probably already tried: If the bananas are older and therefore particularly sweet, they are ideal for homemade smoothies, banana milk or even banana bread.
In general, the obvious sweetness of old bananas is perfect for baking. So, we recommend brown fruits for chocolate muffins or banana pancakes. For an egg-free recipe, simply mix the following ingredients into a paste, then spread them in a pan with a little oil and fry:
- Two bananas
- Two cups of plant-based milk (e.g. oat milk), water or milk
- A cup of flour (wholemeal)
- A pinch of salt
- A teaspoon (tsp) of baking powder
- Optional: one or two teaspoons of sugar or an alternative sweetener
- Optional: a teaspoon of cinnamon
Old bananas are a real miracle cure – it’s best not to throw them away
Old bananas can also be very useful in the garden. In fact, the skins of brown bananas are particularly suitable as fertilizer. But be careful: as Experts warn, you should only use banana peels from organic fruits. This is because conventional bananas are treated with fungicides and are therefore not suitable as fertilizer.
But in principle, bananas are full of important plant nutrients, just like eggshells or coffee grounds. Among them, calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium and vitamins.
Using this miracle product is very simple. Simply cut the banana peels into small pieces and incorporate them into the roots of the plants. It doesn’t matter whether the skins are still fresh or have been dried beforehand. According to research, there is nothing against using the banana pieces themselves.
Make Liquid Fertilizer From Old Bananas: The Fruits Contain Important Nutrients
For those who want to go to a little extra trouble, very ripe bananas and their skins can be made into liquid fertilizer. Important: unfortunately, this is not a method that allows nutrients to be captured for long. In fact, liquid fertilizer must always be prepared fresh and consumed quickly, as it molds quickly.
Here is how the method works:
- Cut the skins or fresh bananas into small pieces.
- Boil the banana pieces in water. You need about one liter of water for 100 grams of pulp.
- Leave the decoction to rest overnight and then filter the solid parts.
- Mix the solution again with water in the proportion of 1:5 and use it to water the plants.
It is especially flowering plants that benefit from the nutrients in bananas. These are, for example, roses, fuchsias or geraniums. But tomatoes and cucumbers can also be fertilized with banana.
