Don’t throw away the banana peels, you can turn them into vegetable “bacon” with this recipe
Find out how to use banana peels in cooking. Here’s how to make vegetable bacon using just banana peels.
The meat plant-based are everywhere in supermarkets, but if I told you that you can reproduce the meat plant at home with an ingredient that surely you have in the fridge?
Yes, with banana, or rather with banana peels, you can reproduce bacon in a 100% vegetable version. Yes, because the peels are actually edible and have many of the same nutrients as the fruit; according to research, in fact, banana peel flour is rich in nutrients such as essential amino acids and fiber. Another study, conducted in test tubes, found that less mature skins are also rich in antioxidants.
Obviously, if you plan to eat the peels, you should opt for organic bananas as they are free of pesticides and chemicals. (Read also: Here are bananas with edible peel )
How to make bacon with banana peel
There are hundreds of videos on social media, Tik Tok and Instagram, where people try their hand at making bacon with a banana peel. (Read also: Bananas: better than energy drinks for physical activity and training )
That’s how:
- Use very ripe bananas, remove the excess pulp from the inside of the peel.
- Make a quick marinade with coconut, olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, maple syrup, and a little salt, or other spices of your choice.
- Add the skins and let the mixture rest for about 15 minutes.
- After that, you can cook the “pancetta” in a pan for 2 or 3 minutes per side, or cook everything for about 10 minutes in the air fryer.
How to use vegetable bacon
You can enjoy vegan bacon with banana peels as it is, or you can use it in a variety of ways; for example, to dress a salad, or, you can also chop up vegan bacon and sprinkle it on a bowl of cereal or use it to complement a tray of roasted vegetables.