Going Bananas (One Family's Fascination with Their Yonanas Maker)

A couple of years ago, we went bananas.  My parents gave us a Yonanas maker for Christmas.  I had seen these advertised, with their promise of "healthy" and "easily homemade" frozen treats...but I balked at the $50 priced.  I tried emulating the results using a relatively new blender - let's just say that didn't go well and that I am thankful my husband could fix it.  I tried seeking it out on my local Freecycle group - no luck there.  So, with a big sigh, I shelved my hopes for another day.

THEN, Christmas came, with family members asking for ideas.  Guess what made the list? A Yonanas maker.  At $50, I couldn't justify buying something we may or may not use, but it seemed to be the perfect Christmas item.

Christmas Eve, we unwrapped a brand new Yonanas.  We, of course, wanted to try it out immediately, but we didn't have any frozen fruit on hand, and the grocery stores would be closed Christmas Day (which is a good thing).  BUT, we still couldn't use our gift.  December 26th found us in the frozen section of the grocery store, plundering all the frozen fruit.  We also raided the banana aisle, but that was more disappointing since the bananas were mostly green.  The instructions are clear: You MUST freeze bananas that are so ripe that they already have "cheetah spots."  Bummer!  We pressed on nonetheless, processing our selection of frozen fruit, judging which we liked best and which didn't make the cut.  All the while, we watched our bananas like hawks waiting for the "cheetah spots" to appear.  When the bananas were finally ripe enough, we peeled all qualified candidates and gleefully tossed them into a Ziploc bag in the freezer.  And then we waited, again. (!)  The bananas must freeze 24 hours before you can use them.  And, then, they must thaw for about 10 minutes before you run them through the machine.

I make this sound like the process was difficult and long, but, really, it wasn't at all.  We were just antsy.

Now, I buy bananas by the bunches and toss the overripe bananas in a predetermined "banana bag" in the freezer as their time comes up. By "banana bag," know that I mean a gallon Ziploc bag with "Bananas" scribbled on it in Sharpie marker, a bag which is frequently emptied and refilled.

When it's time for a family treat, we pull out our Yonanas, let our bananas begin thawing/softening, and crank up the machine for some fun.

This has been especially great for our family as we have tried various exclusion diets this year in an effort to pin point some problematic allergens.  Yonanas are gluten/wheat free, dairy free, nut free, egg free, and soy free.  They are tasty and fun.  We like to customize ours with marshmallows, nuts, chocolate chips and more.  We also like to blend in Oreos for a Cookies N' Cream blend - a favorite of the hubs.