Guest guest Posted November 16, 2007 Report Share Posted November 16, 2007 Hi Caron, Frozen whipped bananas (often mislabeled " banana ice cream " ) are a very popular RF treat with kids and grown-ups alike. The reason freezing bananas (and dates) " works " well is that these fruits contain less water, ounce for ounce, than do most other fruits. Whereas many fruits consist of around 90% water (very broad average), bananas tend toward 70% and dates toward 30%, give or take. In addition, both bananas and dates contain some starch and some heavier fiber than do most of the higher-water-content fruits. In other words, they are more dense. So the damage to bananas and dates (and several other denser fruits, such as durian) from freezing is considerably less than that to most fruits. Still, I've often seen bananas turn colors in the freezer and come out tasting quite different than when they went in, a clear sign of damage. Much has to do with how the bananas are packaged going into the freezer, the temperature and crowding in the freezer, and the ripeness of the bananas before freezing. Data based upon information from The 80/10/10 Success Guide, by Laurie Masters (www.GreensongPress.org), which in turn draws from the USDA reference nutrient database, release 19. Best to all, Elchanan _____ Caron Friday, November 16, 2007 2:37 PM rawfood Re: [Raw Food] Re: Frozen Fruit? I've also made some " banana milk " ice creams for my son - just bananas blended with some water, and put in ice cream moulds. He hasn't had one yet, but I'll be interested to see how they turn out ) He seems to have an aversion to anything in less than its original state - chopping into bite-sized pieces is as much as he'll tolerate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 17, 2007 Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 Although I'll put bananas in the fridge or freezer if they start getting too ripe, I'll only use them for banana whips (ice cream) or smoothies or something where they're in a different form than I would normally eat them. I find that they taste different even after just being in the refrigerator, and I don't like the taste, by themselves, so I'll use them for those things. I don't know if this has anything to do with much damage to the fruit, being only in the refrigerator, but they definitely taste different, not nearly as good, even when allowed to reach room temperature. I can't buy bananas by the case for this reason, because they ripen faster than I can eat them all I need someone to help me eat them Jen rawfood , " Elchanan " <Elchanan wrote: > > Still, I've often seen bananas turn colors in the freezer and come out > tasting quite different than when they went in, a clear sign of damage. Much > has to do with how the bananas are packaged going into the freezer, the > temperature and crowding in the freezer, and the ripeness of the bananas > before freezing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 17, 2007 Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 Hi GardenGreetings, I will use frozen fruit from time to time. I buy bananas in large volumes, and sometimes I can't get through them all before they start to go overripe. So I will freeze those bananas, and make banana ice cream or a smoothie from them. I certainly prefer fresh over frozen. Elchanan is correct about the nature of frozen fruits. Why look for external authorities, when you can do this simple experiment: Take a fresh strawberry, and a frozen strawberry. Let the frozen strawberry completely thaw. Now, eat both strawberries. Let your senses tell you which strawberry has more nutrients and value to your body. Bryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 17, 2007 Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 - bryan_yamamoto [...] > Elchanan is correct about the nature of frozen fruits. Why look for > external authorities, when you can do this simple experiment: Take a > fresh strawberry, and a frozen strawberry. Let the frozen strawberry > completely thaw. Now, eat both strawberries. Let your senses tell you > which strawberry has more nutrients and value to your body. > > Bryan Palatability would seem to be a poor guide to nutrient content. -Erin http://www.zenpawn.com/vegblog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 17, 2007 Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 Erin, Please share your experience and wisdom around this. Thanks. Bryan rawfood , " Erin " <truepatriot wrote: > Palatability would seem to be a poor guide to nutrient content. > > -Erin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 17, 2007 Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 Thanks, Bryan for the request to clarify and for suggesting it might be a wise observation. Consider the variability in taste preferences. Some food you relish and know to be nutrient-dense, as is most in the plant kingdom, others may find " icky. " This does not make it less beneficial to their bodies. Or maybe the texture has changed, as here, and someone may no longer enjoy it. However, that doesn't necessarily mean it has lost any nutrition. Hence, my statement that " palatability would seem to be a poor guide to nutrient content. " To your health, -Erin http://www.rawdonelight.com - bryan_yamamoto rawfood Saturday, November 17, 2007 11:06 AM [Raw Food] Re: Frozen Fruit? Erin, Please share your experience and wisdom around this. Thanks. Bryan rawfood , " Erin " <truepatriot wrote: > Palatability would seem to be a poor guide to nutrient content. > > -Erin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.