Banana not-icecream

[rydra_wong]

Con: requires use of a food-processor or blender, which can be hard for those of us with noise sensitivity.

Pro: minimal prep, lasts indefinitely in the freezer, takes only a few minutes to make, no cooking required, compatible with a very wide range of special dietary requirements, is mysterious food alchemy.

Taken from Instructables: 1-Ingredient Ice Cream:

Take a banana or bananas, peel, chop into chunks, then put in a bag in the freezer.

When desired, take out your frozen banana chunks, put them in a food processor, and blend them.

The result is amazingly creamy in texture, and way sweeter than regular banana, for reasons I cannot fathom.

I don't eat a lot of sugar, and I actually find the result too sweet; I'm going to be experimenting with blending in extra ingredients, including other fruits or cocoa powder.

ETA: If you need/want to take a supplement that's in powder form, blending it in seems to work very well (I tried this with a scoop of whey protein).

ETA2: If you are okay with dairy, blending in some Greek yoghurt is amazingly delicious.

Comments

[waywardcats]

Maybe a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice on the pieces before they go into the freezer would add just enough tartness to offset the sweetness?

[rydra_wong]

Quite probably (alas, citrus fruit is off-limits for me owing to my wacky dietary requirements).

I was thinking that a tablespoon or two of tart Greek yoghurt might work well (since I can tolerate dairy).

[pinesandmaples]

How important is the chopping? I mean, what would happen if we just froze a banana then blended it?

Added: Also, I bet blueberries would work well blended into the bananas because blueberries freeze so well.

[rydra_wong]

I mean, what would happen if we just froze a banana then blended it?

In my case, it wouldn't fit into my tiny blender *g*.

It works fine with the banana in fairly large chunks, so it could well be fine with the banana whole -- if you try it, maybe you could report back?

ETA: Peeling the banana before freezing it is not optional, though. I know this because I forgot. Trying to peel a frozen banana is ... not easy.

[pinesandmaples]

if you try it, maybe you could report back?

If I can convince the wife to try it, sure. I do not like bananas and were it not for the whole "bodies need potassium to not turn into one big cramp" I would never touch them. Yucky.

[moizissimo]

My suggestion is almond butter, or perhaps bittersweet chocolate, if you can do either. :) Banana-nut-butter-chocolate is my favourite smoothie.

[rydra_wong]

Mmmmm. I definitely want to try very bitter chocolate with it.

[pinesandmaples]

THIS WORKS WITH WATERMELON!

I am yelling because I want the whole world to know how delicious it is.

[rydra_wong]

Oooh. Watermelon on its own, or with the banana?

[pinesandmaples]

Watermelon on its own!

We cubed our watermelon, froze it, then blended bits and pieces together. We stopped when the fruit was still a little bit chunky so it was less like a traditional ice cream and more like Dippin' Dots done with fruit. It was so freaking good. I cannot wait to blend up more. (And if you pick a sweet watermelon, there will be no need to add sugar or anything else.)

[rydra_wong]

Sounds excellent! I'll have to try it next time I have watermelon on hand.

[hopefulnebula]

a) This sounds nummy and I must try it at once.
b) The reason it's sweeter is because fruits and vegetables convert starches to sugar with cold, as a form of antifreeze. It's why root vegetables are sweeter after the first freeze. Alton Brown said it, so it must be true.

[vilakins]

I'll have to try that!

I make banana ice-blocks (banana onna stick!) in summer by peeling a ripe banana, cutting it in two, sticking am ice-block stick in each half (I use wooden ones), and wrapping each one in cling film and freezing it. You still get the lovely ice-creamy texture and banany-y sweetness and it's so easy to eat. If a bit suggestive. :-P

[rydra_wong]

Ooh, that's a great idea too.

And now I'm wondering about blending bananas with other fruit and pouring them into a lolly mould ...

[vilakins]

I've seen plastic ice-block (ice-lolly) moulds with their own sticks if you mean those. I think it would work with the banana to add a softer, creamier texture. Experimentation may be needed!

Those frozen bananas are also brilliant in milk or yogurt smoothies; just cut into thick (1-2 inch) slices while still frozen (it's not difficult), and blend. Flavour and iciness in one!

[0jack]

I've made this for ages. It's fantastic with frozen raspberries and cocoa powder or just with the straight cocoa--but mix the cocoa powder with some milk or water and let it sit for about 15+ minutes. I can't remember all of the blargle about the charge on cocoa powder but, long story short, it's how you get rid of any powdery taste from the cocoa powder. It's the same thing you do when you're making chocolate whipped cream. :)