I posted this to the recipes forum also:
I need to know how to keep all these banana leaves we have here. I want to use them for a few recipes I've found. I'd like to lay in a supply that would last all winter.
Do I dry the leaves first and then bag them for use later? (Like corn husks are dried?)
Can I freeze them green? Or do they turn to mush??
Also, I've seen people say they use EE leaves to wrap and cook things in. Any particular ones?
Preserving/Using Banana Leaves in Cooking
I dont think they can be dried like corn. I see them available as frozen green. You should be able to lay them out, put a piece of freezer paper in between layers (to keep from sticking to each other) and then fold them and freeze them in ziploc freezer bags. They should be washed first and dried. Or wash, dry and fold each one, put individually in ziploc bags and freeze.
I have not used them to cook with yet, but I am still looking for a nice recipe to use them with.
Taro leaves must be boiled(and drained) for at least 45 minutes before consuming because small, crystal-like pieces of calcium oxalate irritate the mouth and tongue when not fully cooked. Even when cooked, they can still irritate your mouth(and the rest of your digestive tract).
The most commonly used elephant ears for cooking are Xanthosoma saggitifolium and Colocasia esculenta, with Colocasia esculenta being the most commonly eaten. Green leaf and purple stem varieties are both used, but don't use the variegated ones(according to my Asian friend) because they have a bitter taste. He said the purple ones have the best flavor.
Don't eat the leaves from alocasia cucullata, they're poisonous. Never, ever eat a taro/elephant ear leaf raw, they really irritate your mouth and throat.
I don't know how to preserve Banana leaves...but I do use them for cooking. Fish, chicken, pork are all wonderful spiced, wrapped in the leaves and then baked. I take the leaves, cut the midrib out and then scorch the back sides of the leaves over a flame on the stove. This breaks down the fibers and makes folding them so much easier. Look in some caribbean recipes...mexican too. Tamales wrapped in banana leaves are great!!!
It is Oxalic Acid in the aroid leaves that hurts the mouth!!!
Aloha! It is wonderful to talk to you again! I am not sure how proper but I prepare my ti leaves like my banana leaves... I steam them until soft, pat them dry with a cloth and roll them up for freezing. Then into plastic wrap. But then where you are, why do you need to preserve banana leaves? They are all year.
I owe you. I have many varieties of bananas, just tell me what you need and I will send you babies. Fruit, veggie? I would LOVE to send you some!!!!!
With my banana leaves I cut the flat off of the stem, wash them off and pat them dry, then fold gently and put them in a freezer bag to stuff in the freezer. Without the stiffness of the stem they fold easily, you can just put them in a pile that when folded together will fit easily into the bag.
AlohaHoya I totaly agree, tamales wrapped in banana leaves have a better flavor than wrapped in corn husk and so easy to do too.
I have been keeping an eye on this thread. Thanks for all the info.
Dravencat great seeing ya.
Peggy
Thank You!
I really appreciate this. I will try doing as you suggested with the banana leaves. I may have to cook something very soon to take advantage of the fresh ones. I have a recipe for a Thai rice cooked in banana leaves I'm really excited to try.
I think I'd better do some heavy research on the EEs we have here, I certainly don't want to poison the hubby!
Are there recipes in DG for cooking with banana leaves (not too exotic...lol)?
Hmm, I haven't looked here at Dave's. I've done searches on recipe sites and with Google, though. Most of them are fairly simple, some ask for ingredients that I have to go to the Dallas area for, but since I go there every few months I stock up on that kind of stuff while I'm there. I just have to make sure I store everything properly :~)
This site is world wide- I bet if you keep this thread going the recipes will pile in. I'm excited!
I thought of this thread while I was at my friend's house yesterday. She asked me for banana leaves, she's from Honduras. She makes something with conch and cooks it in banana leaves. She invited me to come eat with them but I'm a chicken when it comes to trying new stuff!(I had conch salad in the Bahamas, I didn't like it, but she said this is nothing like that)
Calalily, will you please ask your friend for the conch recipe? It sounds good to me!
Prettylady24 its good seeing you too.
I got the tamalle recipe off of a bag of masa and then added stuff that my MIL does. The bag had a pretty plain recipe with just the masa and corn husks, I wrap mine in the banana leaves after adding olives, pimento, raisins and a prune. Makes it more interesting thats for sure.
Cyberageous, I'll ask her for the recipe. It might need a bit of translating, lol. My Spanish is terrible!
Calalily- I sure would appreciate it! Even in Spanish, I have alot of family members that can translate it.
I talked to her yesterday. From what I could understand it's conch, coconut milk(not the sweet stuff that goes in drinks, but the "milk" from inside the coconut), salt and pepper. Roll in banana leaves and I think she said steam them. I'll see her again today, we were talking on the phone yesterday, but it's much easier for me to understand directions in person, lol.
She said "I'll make some and you can try them." I am a chicken!
Conch is tough. Does she pound it out? No boiled rice? Down here we pound it then make a cerviche (yummy) or chowder & fritters. Conch is awesome, I think you will like it.
Oh boy, yes! There is a big difference in coconut water and the drink mix!
Ran into a local guy plucking small conchs from a super low tide after Wilma. He said he cooks them for hours, changing the water often. Then they are eaten with melted butter, salt, garlic. He said they are tender and delicious. And I thought after hours of cooking in water they would be rubbery, not tender. Spose one could then steam them on the grill in banana leaves to impart that grilled flavor, too. MMM.
Hey, another trick I learned from cooking calamari, and it helped last time I cooked conch- throw a wine cork in the pot of boiling water. It's an old Italian grandma trick that works!
Yes, she cooks it in the coconut water first, then she makes it into balls and rolls it in the banana leaves. She didn't say anything about steamed rice.
Her husband is a shrimp boat captain and he brings all kinds of seafood home(she must have a hundred different ways to make shrimp)
Cyberageous, I love ceviche but haven't tried it made out of conch.
Ceviche w/conch is awesome. It includes veggies too.