"You're Welcome" Wednesday tip: Banana tips + how to get rid of fruit flies

Welcome back to "You're Welcome" Wednesday, where I share a creative tip with you that's bound to make you say...THANKS!

My son loved bananas, so I always have them on-hand. They are healthy for you, no human hands have ever touched the part you eat (yippee!), and they give you a burst of natural energy once you eat them.

The problem is, they are a bit of a fragile fruit. They ripen quickly, they stink to high-heaven, and (in my opinion anyway) they only taste good when they are the perfect ripe-ness. 

Here are a few banana tips that are sure to help with your banana-ness!

• When selecting your bananas at the store, look at the color more than the dark marks that can be on the peel. Green bananas will last a week longer (or so) than yellow bananas, so simply take into consideration when you plan on eating them. Bananas will usually last only about 1 week.

• Bananas with green tips or hardly any yellow haven't developed their full flavor potential. 

• Avoid: Bruised fruit (indicating rapid deterioration and waste); discolored skins (a sign of decay); a dull, grayish, aged appearance (showing that the bananas have been exposed to cold and will not ripen properly)

• If you take them apart when you get home from the store, they will last longer. They ripen faster when they are connected.

• Keep them in a shaded area of your kitchen; not in direct sunlight.

• Bananas will turn black in the fridge, and will also lose some of their nutritional value.

• Once you've eaten a banana, wrap the peel in a used plastic grocery bag before you throw it away. This will keep your house from stinking!

• If your bananas start to ripen faster than you can eat them, put the whole thing - peel and all - in the freezer. You can use them later on for cooking. (Make soft-serve ice cream with only one ingredient HERE)

• If they do go soft and mushy, use them to make banana bread or muffins. Over-ripe bananas are the best for cooking.

• Use sliced bananas in cereal, yogurt, or on a peanut butter sandwich.

So there you have it!
Hopefully this will help with your banana-ness. Oh, and a bonus tip?

To get rid of fruit flies:

Take a small glass, fill it 1/2 with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!

Pretty neat, eh?
You're welcome :)

Read some other interesting facts HERE and HERE