Dave Parker
It happens again and again that we don’t eat bananas fast enough and the fruits turn brown and overripe. But that’s no reason to throw away the banana. We have six tips on how to use up brown bananas.
Bananas contain valuable ingredients such as potassium, magnesium, and lots of vitamins. They are particularly digestible as soon as brown speckles form on the shell.
If the bananas are completely brown, some people no longer want to eat them. Then you can recycle the fruit – and thus save it from the organic waste bin.
You can use overripe bananas for a hair treatment, face mask and dessert, for example.
Use overripe bananas: hair treatment for soft hair
Bananas are packed with vitamins and nutrients like calcium, potassium, and iron. As a result, damaged hair regenerates and shines. The recipe for an overripe banana hair mask also contains olive oil, which conditions brittle hair and makes it shiny, and yogurt, which moisturizes the hair.
Ingredients for the Banana Hair Mask:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 overripe mashed banana
- 2 tablespoons yoghurt (coconut or cashew yoghurt are also suitable here)
Application:
Massage the banana hair mask into damp hair.
Wrap a towel around your head and leave the mask on for about 20 minutes.
Wash out the hair treatment with shampoo. The remains of the mask can go in the organic waste, the towel can then be put in the washing machine.
Be careful with well-groomed hair: Do not put the mask directly on the scalp, otherwise, the roots of the hair could be over-treated – and the hair would become heavy or greasy.
Banana Puree Face Mask: Recycled for old bananas
In addition to the hair, you can also care for the face with brown overripe bananas.
Ingredients for the banana face mask:
- 1 overripe mashed banana
- 1 tsp honey
Application:
- Apply the mixture to the face, avoiding the eye area.
- Leave the mask on for 30 minutes.
- Then remove it with a cloth and then wash your face with lukewarm water.
Banana facial scrub
You can also make your own mechanical face scrub from an overripe banana. Excess skin flakes are removed with the peeling.
Ingredients for the Banana Face Scrub:
- 1 overripe mashed banana
- 1 tbsp oatmeal
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tablespoons almond drink
Application:
- Moisten facial skin and then massage in, avoiding the eye area.
- Then rinse off the scrub with plenty of lukewarm water.
Freeze overripe bananas for nicecream
If you have too many ripe bananas, you can also freeze the fruit and use it later: You can make vegan ice cream with no added sugar, the so-called nicecream, from frozen sweet bananas.
Basic Nicecream Recipe: Put the frozen bananas in a blender. If your blender isn’t that powerful, adding a little water or plant-based milk can help. If the banana sticks to the wall of the mixing bowl while mixing, you can pause briefly and use a spoon to push the pieces back down to the cutting blades. Mix until a creamy mass has formed.
Chocolate nice cream: For a chocolate variant, add baking cocoa to the mixer. The amount depends on your personal taste. First add a teaspoon, taste the chocolate nice cream and add more cocoa if necessary.
Berry nice cream: Of course you can also make a fruity nice cream. Add frozen or fresh berries to the blender. With fresh fruit it can happen that the nice cream becomes too liquid. Then simply place the ice cream in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Smoothie with overripe bananas
You can use overripe bananas together with other fruits and vegetables to make a smoothie. To do this, put all the ingredients in the blender and process them into a creamy mass.
If the mass is not liquid enough, you can add water or plant drink. The banana gives the smoothie a natural sweetness and makes the smoothie creamy.
Grilled overripe bananas
Overripe bananas are particularly easy to grill: Place the unpeeled bananas on the grill and turn them regularly. The grill should not be too hot! When the bananas are warm inside, the easy grilled dessert is ready.
Tip: The grilled banana tastes particularly good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. Or you can fill the banana with chocolate before grilling: To do this, cut the banana peel from top to bottom, then score the banana with a knife. Stick a piece or two of chocolate inside the banana and place, cut-side up, on the grill.
