* About 3 - 4 large, they can be overrippened and black.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop walnuts in blender (remove nuts from blender and set aside). Cut bananas into pieces; puree in blender jar. With electric mixer, cream sugar & shortening at medium speed. Add eggs to creamed mixture and beat until light and fluffy. Add puree banana mixture to above. Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Mix thoroughly. Fold in nuts. Pour into greased and floured tube pan (can be made in loaf bread pan's also). Bake 60 - 70 minutes or until btread tests done with a cake tester. Cool in pan on wire rack for 1 hour, remove from pan to serving dish.