Doomed
I heard on Radio 4 this morning that almost half of the world’s food produced ends up as waste. The ImechE (Institution of Mechanical Engineers) report on food (why?) says that up to 2 billion tonnes of food never makes it on to a plate. The reasons are many and varied, but most seem to come down to human fickleness - or stupidity.
Nevertheless, a billion is a lot. It’s hard to conceptualise, but if you were to count to a billion taking a second to count each number it would take you almost 32 years. Sobering thought.
So I took the two very much past their best bananas out of the compost bin (where they had been deposited still in their more black than yellow peel, but otherwise in tact, by a member of my family) and felt smug that I had done my bit today to prevent an infinitesimal part of 2 billion tonnes go to waste. Almost. I’m not sure to do with them yet.
If I make banana bread it will almost certainly end up wasted as no one likes it very much and we still have Christmas cake to eat which is enough cake to be getting on with. And we still have Christmas pudding too.
My sister made some delicious banana chutney, but I already have a jar of hers – and we do have rather a lot of green tomato chutney to eat. (Thinking about the banana chutney made me eat some with some toast and slightly warmed Brie for my lunch. Very nice. Studenty snack?) 
Older cookery books often have lots of recipes for bananas, but they are all horrible - with the possible exception of those in Jane Grigson’s Fruit Book, but even she marries bananas with bacon(involuntary shudder).
In the end I peeled the bananas and put them in the freezer. Maybe tomorrow I’ll use up some of the cream we have and make a banana ice cream.
Here’s what I think about sometimes – what would my grandmother have done with this? I’m all for exercising good common sense and safety in the kitchen so no one gets sick, but I’m with you on this. Of course, I peel the banana and give the peels to our goats. Then I mash the banana itself up in the oatmeal for the chickens. Compost, repurpose – whatever you want to call it. I don’t waste it.
The rabbit ate the skins, but I don’t think it does her any good…
You need some chickens obviously,nice to paint too and i’m told they lay eggs ,could they live in rabbit land when not in the kitchen next to the aga?If you don’t reply to this comment ….i will start leaving Simon Armatige poems in full on your blog.I don’t think that will do much to help save the planet or give us courage to save humanity.You had no idea how i mean i can be …it rests on your shoulders .
The beloved says that chickens will destroy the grape vine and carrots that he plants in rabbit land, but that banana skins are compostable anyway..
That’s a relief i was worried i’d have to buy an edition of Armitage’s poetry and not only read it but spend time each day typing one out!
Damn! Missed an opportunity there…