So, how do the conventional bananas compare to the organic bananas?
Organic banana came in at $1.04 per pound of usable product. Conventional banana came in at ≈96½¢ per pound. That is a 7½¢ savings. For frugality, the best buy is conventional bananas.
Organic banana had 34.7% waste. Conventional banana had 38.8% waste. For less waste, the best buy is organic bananas. Looks like my cousin might be correct about organic banana peel being thinner is not necessarily the case.
Because of the weight loss difference, there is only a 35¢ increase per pound for the organic bananas while there is a 37½¢ increase per pound in the price of conventional bananas. This means as one buys more weight of banana the difference per pound will statistically diminish. If my math is correct, the prices per pound of peeled banana will reach equivalent at 15 pounds. What this says is buying and freezing 15 pounds of organic bananas should result in the same overall cost (not to be confused with price) and the same amount of fruit as buying and freezing 15 pounds of conventional bananas. Based on this little experiment, then, I would have to buy about 30 bananas creating 20 bags with 3 halves each.
As a frugalista, though, I know that numbers aren't everything. When I peeled the organic banana, there wasn't much smell; I recall being disappointed by that and thinking they weren't worth buying anyway. There was half a banana left over after packaging for freezing, so I tasted it. It tasted like the banana taffy I like Well, maybe not as strong, but it definitely tasted like a banana. When I peeled the conventional bananas, I smelled banana. This means essential oils (where taste and fragrance come from) were being released into the air. Upon placing them on the scale, they slid around. They were a bit oily, which corresponds with the release of scent when peeling. As with the organic bananas, there was a half left over, so I tasted it. In contrast with the organic banana, and belying the fragrance, there was almost no banana taste to the conventional banana. It seems to all have evaporated with the removal of the peel. Also, there was a starchy mouth feel (also referred to as texture) upon eating and a potato aftertaste with some dry mouth that was a bit annoying and has lasted beyond the time it took to write this post. I don't recall that happening with the organic banana.
In conclusion, if your only concern is saving money and you purchase in small quantities (1 bunch at a time), buy conventional bananas. However, buy organic bananas when you want something to actually taste of banana or have enough freezer space to store about 30 bananas. I cannot comment on whether organic bananas are ecologically more desirable than conventional bananas.
As always, I welcome your comments. Click on the Comment link below; it may say "No" or have a number in front of it.
Organic banana came in at $1.04 per pound of usable product. Conventional banana came in at ≈96½¢ per pound. That is a 7½¢ savings. For frugality, the best buy is conventional bananas.
Organic banana had 34.7% waste. Conventional banana had 38.8% waste. For less waste, the best buy is organic bananas. Looks like my cousin might be correct about organic banana peel being thinner is not necessarily the case.
Because of the weight loss difference, there is only a 35¢ increase per pound for the organic bananas while there is a 37½¢ increase per pound in the price of conventional bananas. This means as one buys more weight of banana the difference per pound will statistically diminish. If my math is correct, the prices per pound of peeled banana will reach equivalent at 15 pounds. What this says is buying and freezing 15 pounds of organic bananas should result in the same overall cost (not to be confused with price) and the same amount of fruit as buying and freezing 15 pounds of conventional bananas. Based on this little experiment, then, I would have to buy about 30 bananas creating 20 bags with 3 halves each.
As a frugalista, though, I know that numbers aren't everything. When I peeled the organic banana, there wasn't much smell; I recall being disappointed by that and thinking they weren't worth buying anyway. There was half a banana left over after packaging for freezing, so I tasted it. It tasted like the banana taffy I like Well, maybe not as strong, but it definitely tasted like a banana. When I peeled the conventional bananas, I smelled banana. This means essential oils (where taste and fragrance come from) were being released into the air. Upon placing them on the scale, they slid around. They were a bit oily, which corresponds with the release of scent when peeling. As with the organic bananas, there was a half left over, so I tasted it. In contrast with the organic banana, and belying the fragrance, there was almost no banana taste to the conventional banana. It seems to all have evaporated with the removal of the peel. Also, there was a starchy mouth feel (also referred to as texture) upon eating and a potato aftertaste with some dry mouth that was a bit annoying and has lasted beyond the time it took to write this post. I don't recall that happening with the organic banana.
In conclusion, if your only concern is saving money and you purchase in small quantities (1 bunch at a time), buy conventional bananas. However, buy organic bananas when you want something to actually taste of banana or have enough freezer space to store about 30 bananas. I cannot comment on whether organic bananas are ecologically more desirable than conventional bananas.
As always, I welcome your comments. Click on the Comment link below; it may say "No" or have a number in front of it.
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