Nothing beats the banana for nutrition, convenience and versatility. Popular with athletes, bananas contain electrolytes which are essential in the hot summer months for maintaining fluid levels and preventing dehydration. Bananas are also a good source of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamins B6 and C, potassium, manganese and dietary fiber. On the grill, they’re scrumptious, and you can’t go wrong adding them to a smoothie, roasting them or incorporated this satisfying fruit into a dessert.

But I bet you didn’t know that banana peels are great for polishing shoes. Really. Use the inside of an empty peel on your leather shoes as you would shoe polish, then buff with a soft cloth. The banana’s oils soak into the leather and, like most shoe polishes, contain potassium to get the job done.

If using a banana to polish your shoes isn’t high on your priority list, then making my Dirty Banana cocktail should be. [lightbox href=”http://youtu.be/FAnp_yg-uUM”]Click Here[/lightbox] to see how to make one. It’s to die for!

Need more banana recipes and ideas? Check out The Kitchn and Dole.com.