Bananas, The Most Popular Fruit in America

According to the USDA in 2010 the Banana is the most popular fruit in the United States followed by Apples, Watermelon, Oranges and Strawberries in that order. The banana is a perennial herb (Herbaceous plant) and most refer to this herb as the banana tree. Because the stem of the plant does not contain woody tissue, that makes it a plant instead of a tree in the scientific community.

Classified as a tropical fruit in America, in the tropical countries; the herbaceous plant takes 10 to 15 months to produce fruit. In many areas of the tropics, the large banana leaves replace plates at outdoor events. Varieties include: the Cavendish, which is the most popular banana in America, although burro, finger (Manzano), niño, plantains, and red bananas are equally popular in other localities.

The banana was introduced to Americans during the 1870’s. The banana was so new Americans did not know what to do with them. According to the Domestic Cyclopedia of Practical Information, eating instructions were: “Bananas are eaten raw, either alone or cut in slices with sugar and cream, or wine and orange juice. They are also roasted, fried or boiled, and are made into fritters, preserves, and marmalades.”

Did you know the average American eats 27 pounds of bananas each year. If you peel a banana from the bottom up you won’t get the string things. Bananas are available year round, picked green for exporting, and ripen at their final destination in warehouses. While stored in warehouses, bananas will produce high amounts of ethylene gas that help ripen green tomatoes and/or avocados. The best quality banana is picked close to ripeness.

For the health conscious, bananas are rich in potassium, and loaded with vitamins A, B, and C. Many athletes prefer the banana as their fruit of choice because of the high amount of carbohydrates.

Overripe frozen bananas makes an excellent coulee, and when you’re ready to use them, rough chop them, run them through a food processor with other fresh fruits (like strawberries) and a small amount of fresh apple juice. Additionally, quick breads use overripe bananas, such as Banana Nut Bread.