FOOD NEWS
The Unconventional Savory Use For Overripe Bananas
By Chris Day
We all know the struggle of watching green bananas turn black, becoming overripe in almost no time. While it's always possible to freeze and salvage bananas before they've blackened completely, there's an unconventional way to put your overripe bananas to good use that won't involve digging out your banana bread pan.
Banana ketchup has been a staple in kitchens in the Philippines since World War II when tomatoes were scarce and bananas were plentiful. During the war, Filipino food technician Maria Ylagan Orosa used vinegar, sugar, spices, and a grape-based food called saba to create a sweeter alternative to tomato-based ketchup, adding red food dye to make it look more conventional.
Food & Wine shares a recipe for making banana ketchup using onions, spices, and chilies, but most recipes simply start with overripe bananas, vinegar, and sugar. Try this condiment the next time you see your bananas heading for the dark side, or you could make banana vinegar, banana peel bacon, or banana peel smoothies.