be green, but the bananas themselves should be perfectly yellow. Black
spots, which are sometimes found on the skins, indicate overripeness or
bruises. When the spots come from overripeness, however, they do not
injure the quality of the fruit, unless there are a great many of them;
in fact, many persons consider that bananas are better when the skins
are black than at any other time.

94. Just under the skin of the banana is some pithy material that clings
to the outside of the fruit and that has a pungent, disagreeable taste.
This objectionable taste may be done away with by scraping the surface
of the banana slightly, as shown in Fig. 14, after the skin is removed.

The strong, typical flavor that characterizes bananas is due to the
volatile oil they contain. It is this oil that causes bananas to
disagree with some persons. The common yellow variety has a milder
flavor than red bananas and certain other kinds and, consequently, is
more popular. If the oil of bananas does not prove irritating, much use
should be made of this fruit, because its food value is high, being
about double that of apples and oranges.

[Illustration: FIG. 14]

95. Bananas are eaten raw more often than in any other way, but many
persons find cooked bananas very agreeable. Then, too, it is sometimes
claimed that cooked bananas are more digestible than raw ones because of
the starch that bananas contain. However, this argument may be
discounted, for a well-ripened banana contains such a small quantity of
starch that no consideration need be given to it.

[Illustration: FIG. 15]