Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-07-07
FLOUR FROM THE BANANA.
One Acre Will Furnish 10000 Pounds
Of Good Food.

The manufacture of flour from ba-
nanas is a growing industry in Central
America. Before it is ripe the fruit is
cut, sliced and dried in the SUN. How
ever, a preferable method is to do the
drying in an oven, because the quality
OF the product depends mainly on the
quickness of the process. The slices
are coarsely ground and sifted, form
ing sort of farina. The dried slices
are hard, brittle and of a horny appear
ance. The meal obtained from them
in the manner described is white and
sweet, with a smell like neW-mown
hay. It is a very palatab1e and easily
digeSted food
Attempts have been made to make
macaroni out of this banana flour, says
the Washington Star, but the stuff al
ways falls to pieces when put into
warm water. Bread can be made from
it only by adding some kind of meal
that contains more gluten. The fresh
pulp furnishes about 20 per cent OF
dry falina, and it is said that the pro-
duce of bananas compared with that OF
wheat is as 1873 to ], and to that OF
potatoes as A to l. One acre of ground
will furnish over 10000 pounds Of flour
The next annual report of the de
partment of agriculture, from proof
sheets of which the above facts are
obtained, makes mention Of several
other methods by which bananas are
preserved. They are dried very much
as figs are, the punches being cut when
fully ripe and exposed to the sun until
they commence to wrinkle. The skins
are then removed, for, if they are not
peeled, a disagreeable favor is i'm
parted to the fruit. The latter are eX
posed to the sun until crystals of sugar
appear on their surface. Then they are
pressed into and wrapped with leaves
of the. plant, or placed in boxes and
kept dry. They have been kept in good
condition in this way for many years
This method can only be adopted in
climates that are very dry. In damp
tropical regions they are prepared fol
drying by first rapidly boiling the ripe
fruit for a short tine in water that
contains sulphate of lime.
! In some parts of South America the
fruits are peeled, grated and the mois
ture expelled by pressure. The mass
is then baked in an oven, after which
it is ground into a coarse kind of flour
The latter is inferior, however, in nutri
tive properties to that obtained from
the dried slices. Bananas baked il
their skins, then peeled and boiled il
water are considered good for cough!
and inflammation Of the lungs. Teh Ma
lays use a variety of the same fruit
which possesses tonic properties, to ar
rest diarrhoea. In the Antilles larg,
quantities of potash are obtained from
the ashes of the plant, which are uset
to wash clothes.
Many spirituous drinks are mad,
from the banana. Banana wine is oh
tanned in Cayenne by pressing the frui
through a sieve, after which it is made
into cakes, dried in the sun, and dis
solved in water when wanted for use
Vinegar is made by suspending thu
fruit in baskets, where it iquifies, an(
the juice collected soon becomes vine
gar. In 1887 nearly 100000 bunche
of bananas were imported into thu
United States from Central America
In 1890 the Importation was 1852, 55'
punches. The bananas imported int
the United States during the last ifs
cal year were worth $5,OOO,OOO.