ChefSteps is a team of chefs, writers, and food lovers who develop recipes, techniques, and guides to help people cook better at home.

ChefSteps

If you’ve ever tasted plain banana juice, you’re probably familiar with the chalky mouthfeel and bland flavor that normally characterize foods with a lot of starch. But here’s a secret to unlocking the deliciously sweet flavor of juiced bananas (and just about any other starchy foods): add a bit of amylase. Put simply, amylase is a naturally occurring enzyme that breaks down starches into sugars. It is most commonly used in beer-making, where starches in malted barley are converted into sugars and then fermented into beer. It also happens to be naturally present in human saliva, which is why raw bananas taste super sweet to us: the amylase in our mouths breaks down starches and converts them into glucose, further enhancing the banana’s wholesome sweetness. When we add a bit of raw amylase to banana juice, it likewise converts the starches into sugars and clarifies the juice in the process. The result is a bright, fruity nectar that captures the natural essence of the banana without any of the chalky texture. And the best part is that a juice like this is bursting with possibilities: freeze it to make popsicles, try it in desserts or cocktails, or drink it for breakfast!