Wife about ready to cook Banana flower..

[Stan]

My first ever. Anybody have a favorite recipe?

[DimplesLee]

Love this one - is that a banana flower from a dessert banana Stan? Flowers from cooking banana types (plantains) can be bitter.

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/15931/coconut+chicken+and+banana+blossom+salad

[Stan]

Mm,sounds good. Mine is from an Ice Cream banana,Namwa,or Java...one of that type.
Thanks!

[mangomike]

I've always wondered how these were prepared. Maybe you could post a video? I

[Stan]

I've always wondered how these were prepared. Maybe you could post a video? I

ha! Thanks,but I don't see myself doing YouTube. I can take pics of her chopping it up. Its still in the fridge Mike. Today she went with deep fried Tilapia,rice and cooked Calabassa.

[Chandramohan]

You have to remove the flower bracts? one by one until they  are pale yellow. The maroon ones are very astringent and bitter. Once you arrive at the pale yellow, you should cut it into thin slices of 1/8 th inch thick. Then you saute it with some chopped chillies, garlic and ginger, with necessary salt and water. Cook on a low flame for about 10 minutes. Season it with mustard, chopped dry chillies and curry leaves in a little oil.

[Mike T]

Get rid of the old bracts and chop into chunks. Boil, steam or stir fry.Cavendish are one of the worst,

[horseshoe_bayou]

I have had it in a salad before.  prepping it ruined the knife I used even though I first put some lemon juice on the blade.
to prep it: peel back the petals until you get to the ones that are white, then cut it up & soak it in some water that has lemon and salt on it to both season and prevent oxidation.  afterward I threw it in the salad. doesn't really have much a flavor. it has a cabbage like texture.
I hope that helps.

[Stan]

She ended up putting it in a Sinigang with Milkfish. She said it was ok,but not as good as in the Philippines. Who knew banana flowers were more tasty in a hotter climate? I guess that's my contribution to "out of the tropics growing edible tropicals."
Bu then again,nothing I can think of here in California grows as well as the hot and humid Philippines.

Maybe I picked the bud too soon?..

[DimplesLee]

Maybe too late? My granny picks the banana blossom before any "hands" have formed. She just lets one tree in a large clump form fruits - the other flower "buds" actually its puso ng saging in Filipino (heart of the banana) end up getting cut off the moment they emerge and get cooked.

[Stan]

Maybe too late? My granny picks the banana blossom before any "hands" have formed. She just lets one tree in a large clump form fruits - the other flower "buds" actually its puso ng saging in Filipino (heart of the banana) end up getting cut off the moment they emerge and get cooked.

That has to be it. Sounds right. It would be hard though to choose banana blossom over ripe banana's. Everything in the mild temperate world moves so much slower. Thanks! Salamat!