5 ways to make your bananas zero waste
There’s more to zero waste than banana bread. Turn your extra bananas into delicious pancakes, use the skins to nourish your plants or even make a delicious pickle.
1. Banana crumble with easy ice cream: Simply bake sliced bananas topped with crumble. For the ‘ice cream’ peel and freeze brown bananas before they get too ripe and blend.
2. Natural plant fertiliser: Chop banana peels and place them in water for a few days, then use to water house or garden plants.
3. Banana skin pickle and banana vinegar: For the food-waste savvy, we love Tom Hunt’s banana vinegar and banana pickle recipes, perfect for adding a unique tang to your next dish. Check out his website tomsfeast.com for lots of climate-friendly recipes.
4. Two-ingredient banana pancakes: 2 eggs and 1 ripe banana is all you need. Optional extras – cinnamon, oats
Step 1. Mash the banana in a bowl. Crack the eggs into the mixture and lightly whisk together. You can also add cinnamon or a tablespoon of oats at this stage too.
Step 2. Add 1 tsp of oil to a frying pan on a medium heat. Add the mixture in two or three smallish rounds to the pan.
Step 3. Cook for around 2 minutes on one side before flipping over. Cook for a further 2 minutes until golden brown.
Step 4. Enjoy as it is or with some plain yoghurt and chopped fruit.
5. Compost it locally: – If your banana is inedible, compost it at home, join BHFP’s Community Composting scheme, or put it in the council’s new food-waste bins.
Bonus tips: Store bananas out of plastic wrapping and away from other fruit and vegetables to slow down ripening.
At the Brighton & Hove Food Partnership (BHFP) we are all about using food in creative ways to reduce waste and create exciting meals. Small cooking tweaks can help you use up more, spend less and do your bit for the planet. Find out more at: bhfood.org.uk/waste
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