Bananas? Now That's Bananas!

The banana. A popular, yellow, crescent moon-shaped fruit that is botanically a berry and loved by young children. Bananas are very cool and full of “yummy” potassium, but I won’t go on and on about this sticky fruit. I’m actually here to talk about banana peels. You must be thinking, “What?” If you’re not, then please think ‘What?’ because I’m about to tell you things you may not know.

Now, most of us think of silly cartoons like Tom and Jerry when we think of banana peels. Often times, one of the characters (like Jerry) eats a banana, carelessly throws the peel onto the floor, then the enemy (Tom) comes running and slips on it. But most of us know how to dispose of a banana peel properly...right?

According to research, banana peels have lots of use. Instead of throwing away the yellow “garbage”, use it in your daily lives. Guess what, kids? Banana peels can help soothe and take away the itchiness of bug bites, rashes, and poison ivy. Moms and dads, when you’re grilling dinner -- steak, chicken, any kind of meat -- place a banana peel on top of the meat to make it more tender and juicy. Having a crock pot meal? Throw a banana peel in there to keep the meat from drying out.

Hey, gardeners everywhere! Wrap a banana peel around your early tomatoes to absorb nutrients. Use banana peels in compost, too! They break down easily and add nutrients to soil. If you like lots of wildlife in your garden, put a banana peel on a high surface to attract birds, butterflies, bees, and wasps. (Personally, I wouldn’t do that. Bees and wasps create annoying nests on the outer walls of your house.)

Tired of worn leather? Polish it with the pithy side (the inner side) of a banana peel. Afterwards, rub with a cloth so there is no sticky residual. Like shiny stuff? Clean silver with the mixture of a banana peel and water.

Cock-a-doodle-doo! You can feed animals like pigs, chickens, rabbits, and sheep with dry banana peels mixed in with their normal food. But guess what? Not only can animals eat banana peels, but you can, too! BOOM. You heard me right! You can eat a banana peel if you clean off the pesticides. Boil it for 10 minutes or put it through a juicer to enjoy lots of extra nutrients and fiber.

However, there is more to this sticky story. God made everything, including bananas. Even though banana peels to us are worth nothing, God made them for a reason. Just imagine bananas without their peels. They would rot more easily. They would leave your fingers really sticky. They would get eaten by other creatures. Banana peels are really useful. And the fact that we can do even more things with banana peels is amazing. So, the next time you eat a banana, think of how God made everything for a perfect purpose!

Also, for more information about banana peels, visit http://www.sustainableamerica.org/blog/bananas/.