The Mystery of the Red Bananas

 In case you weren't aware, the lovely yellow bananas we all love are under attack.  Considering the sheer amount of banana love out there, this is pretty concerning.     

I decided to expand my banana horizons and try red bananas.  Allegedly, they are not susceptible to the same fungus as our beloved Cavendish bananas and thus will be around for years to come.  

Plus, they are pretty!  

The problem started after I brought them home.  As I am always hungry, I tried to peel one for a snack.  I tugged at the top, squished at the bottom.  The banana would not open.

Finally, I got a knife and sliced it.  Rather than meeting squishy banana flesh, I found a rock solid interior.  It was downright crunchy.  One sniff told me it was astringent and decidedly not ripe.

Ok, I thought, that's fine.  I'll wait a few days.  Perhaps I bought a "green" bunch but couldn't tell because they're red.  No sweat.

A few days went by- I tried again.  No dice.  The banana was still hard.  (TWSS!)

So, I googled.  According to a comment on Chow, "They don't give strong visual cues, but they do get a little softer as they ripen, and the skin will become more tender, yielding easily to pressure from a thumbnail. Try one every day or so and you should develop a sense of when they're ready."  And Melissa's Produce said pretty much the same thing.  Apparently these beauties have a slight raspberry flavor, although I'm pretty sure I will never taste it.

It's been a week now of watching and waiting- being tormented by their steely presence.  They're mocking me, daring me to throw them away only to ripen in the trash.

I will not give in!  They have become more than a banana to me- they are a challenge!  My personal science experiment.

And they will sit on my counter until they ripen and I get to try their sweet glory or they are ambushed by fruit flies.

Whichever comes first.