HOW TO HARVEST: FRESH BANANA BLOSSOMS
AND CREATE MOCK MEATS
EXTRACTED FROM THE VEGAN BUTCHER COOKBOOK
PHOTOGRAPHS: EMILY WEAVING WORDS: ZACCHARY BIRD
How do you butcher a banana blossom?
That title doesn’t have a punchline because it’s not the set up to a joke. Fresh banana blossom can seem alien to the average banana eater. It’s actually the flower that grows at the end of a bunch of bananas. It’s got a vibrantly purple colour with little visual similarity to the tinned, prepared versions until you peel back the purple bracts to get at the good stuff inside. Both the florets, once they've had the pistil and calyx plucked out, and the creamy-coloured heart can be used in place of meat in their own unique ways. The heart is commonly found canned and brined or marinated for use in salads and mock-seafood recipes.
With a creative vegan butcher’s eyes looking at the banana plant.. the heart, florets and even the skin of the banana fruit can be eaten and used as meat substitutes. Let me show you how!
Peel back the tough, purple outer bracts.
Keep them to the side as a cute decoration to serve on the plate of whatever you make with your harvest.
Identify each part of the florets found under each bract.
The florets are the little finger-like bunches.
Separate the pistil and calyx from each floret.
The pistil looks like a little burnt matchstick, and the calyx looks like a small piece of garlic skin at the base end of the pistil. Discard them as they’re not at all pleasant to eat!
Place the florets in acidulated water to slow browning.
You’ll notice the bracts are getting creamier in colour.. that means the heart is close! Florets close to the heart may be too small to bother with using.
Cut off the spine-like core and divide the heart.
Yes, these would make fabulous emo lyrics. Make sure your hands are oiled up or dipped in acidulated water to avoid the troubles of trying to clean sap off your hands after doing this.
Keep everything submerged until using, or move into a marinade.
Where do I find fresh banana blossom?
Fresh banana blossom can be found in south-east Asian countries, and places where bananas are grown (like Far North Queensland in Australia). Large Asian supermarkets around the world can sometimes have these on offer at the height of summer (at least, that’s when I find them) so if you spot these beautiful purple blossoms in the wild.. seize the opportunity!
What do I do with it once I’ve harvested it?
The heart is popularly marinated in flavours such as seaweed and lemon juice, then battered and fried to be eaten in place of fish. The florets can be used in salads and stir frys, or try my Banana Blossom Floret Pulled Pork in The Vegan Butcher cookbook for a novel way to use them. Way better than unripe jackfruit in my opinion, which is why when I teach my classes on how to butcher banana blossoms in person, we always make pulled pork burgers with the florets.
Harvesting Fresh Banana Blossom
Ingredients
- 1 lemon, juiced
- pinch of sea salt
- vegetable oil, for coating
- 1 fresh banana blossom
Instructions
- Fill a large bowl with water and add the lemon juice and salt. Rub the squeezed lemon half over a stainless steel knife. These steps will help stop the banana blossoms oxidising as you prepare them, once they're placed in this. Lightly coat your hands in oil to avoid being covered in sticky sap.
- To start butchering the banana blossoms, peel back the tough outer bracts and discard or save to use as serving plates for other recipes.
- Remove the florets found underneath. You then need to separate the calyx and pluck out the pistil. Refer to the images on this page to get a visual understanding of these before you give it a go. The calyx looks like a small piece of garlic clove skin, and the pistil looks like a burnt matchstick. To do this, use your fingers to carefully prise open the calyx and remove the inside pistil. Discard the pistil and calyx and immedlately plunge the florets Into the prepared acidulated water.
- Repeat this process with the next layer, until you reach the creamy inner bracts, which can also be used. The smaller florets closer to the heart may be too difficult to remove the pistils and calyxes from. Massage the banana blossoms in the water.
- When you reach the heart of the blossoms, cut off the spine-like core, then cut the heart into quarters, being careful of the sap. Immediately place in the acidulated water. Sit for at least 2 hours in the water to remove the bitter sap. The hearts can be eaten raw however, the florets need to be thoroughly cooked to become palatable - trust me, don't try them before cooking! Take a look at the vegan butcher for ideas and recipes on what to do with your freshly harvested banana blossom.
The ultimate guide to plant-based meat - every recipe you could dream of is in here!