Nanica banana

The skin turns yellow and the fruit gives slightly when pressed; small brown speckles are fine and usually mean it is sweeter. If it is still green and firm, leave it at room temperature to ripen.

Keep unripe bananas at room temperature, away from direct sunlight. Once ripe, you can refrigerate them to slow further ripening; the skin may darken, but the flesh stays usable.

Yes. Slice them lengthways and fry in a little oil until golden on both sides, or bake them at 200 °C for about 15 minutes until soft. Their sweetness also works well in banana bread and pancakes.

Add sliced banana to porridge, yoghurt or cereal, or blend it into a smoothie. It is also used in sweet banana fritters and pairs well with cinnamon, oats and peanut butter.

Yes; use it in the same quantity in banana bread, muffins or pancakes. Mash fully ripe fruit for the best sweetness and moisture, and reduce added sugar if the recipe is already sweet.

Their energy and fibre are similar: Nanica banana has 91 kcal and 1.7 g of fibre per 100 g, compared with 89 kcal and 2.6 g of fibre in an ordinary banana.

Peel them first, then freeze them whole or sliced in a sealed container. Frozen pieces are handy for smoothies; thaw them before using in baking, as they become soft and release liquid.