Bananas – is there anything to know?

If you were asked to name your top three or four favorite fruits, would bananas be on that list? They certainly would be on mine. Other than eating them as a snack, there is much more to know about bananas. In this Cooking Tip, we will explore all about the wonderful banana.

Americans have been importing bananas since 1870. An American businessman (Lorenzo Dow Baker) brought 160 bunches from Jamaica to the US. He subsequently started the Boston Fruit Company. This later merged with Tropical Trading & Transport Company and became United Fruit Company.

Although there are hundreds of varieties of bananas, we rarely see more than one or two in our stores.

Cavendish Banana

• This is the typical banana that we see in the stores.
• It represents 47% of all global production and 99% of bananas sold in the US.
• It is easily recognized by its yellow peel and white flesh.
• The flavor is slightly sweet and has a somewhat creamy texture.
• The best uses for the Cavendish banana are eating out of hand and in desserts.

Plantain

• If you see another variety, it will most commonly be the plantain, which is a relative of the banana.
• The color can be green, yellow or black. The latter is the color when it is fully ripe.
• The flavor is mild, but due to its high starch and low sugar content, it is not nearly as sweet as the Cavendish.
• Texture is firmer.
• The best use is in savory dishes. Cook them as you would potatoes.
• It is notoriously difficult to peel. One recommended method is to cut off both ends and slice tip to tip. Then, remove the peel under cold running water side-to-side.

Other varieties exist, although it is unlikely you will find them in the average supermarket. Names you might see are Red Bananas, Baby Bananas, Gros Michel Bananas, Nam Wah Bananas, Mysore Bananas, Pisang Raja Bananas, Lady Finger Bananas, Senorita Bananas, Blue Java Bananas, Manzano Bananas, Apple Bananas, and Lady’s Finger Bananas.

Ripening Process

A common topic around bananas is the ripening process – either speeding it up or slowing it down.

Speeding Ripening

Paper Bag

A typical piece of advice is to put your unripe banana in a paper bag for a few days. The thought is that the bag traps the ethylene produced by the fruit, which is what causes ripening. Some also say that putting another piece of ripe fruit (typically an apple) in the bag will release even more ethylene, making the ripening even faster. Not everyone agrees that this works as well as advertised, though. The critics do not feel it speeds ripening very much, but they do find it leads to more even ripening.

Warmer Temperatures

Placing your bananas in a warmer area, higher than 75°F, does speed ripening. Some will put them on top of the refrigerator for this purpose.

Oven Ripening

Because higher temperatures help with ripening, some will put the bananas in a low oven, about 250°F. The problem is that although they soften and darken in color, they do not get noticeably sweeter. Microwaving bananas leads to similar results.

Egg Yolk Ripening

If the bananas are destined for a cooked preparation, adding an egg yolk to them and letting them sit for about 30 minutes can speed up ripening. The theory is that the amylase in the egg yolk breaks down the starch into sugars. For more information, see this article by Stella Parks.

One of the primary uses for ripe bananas is banana bread. You might ask if you really need such ripe fruit for this purpose. Cooks’ Country tested this by making three loaves – one with green fruit, one with yellow and one with very ripe brown. The first difference they noticed is that mashing the bananas is much easier with brown bananas. They also found that the riper the banana, the more flavorful the bread. Banana bread made with green bananas tasted less sweet and more vegetal. The loaf was also taller, drier, and had a more open crumb. This was contrasted with the loaf made with ripe fruit. It was moist, dense, and had a compact crumb. The bananas in between had a good texture but less banana flavor. This all makes sense if you think of what happens as bananas ripen. Some of the starch is converted to sugar. This gives more sweetness and acts like a liquid in baked goods, leading to a moister and more tender bread.

Slowing ripening

Cooler temperatures

Just as warmer temperatures can speed ripening, cooler temperatures can slow ripening by reducing the production of ethylene and acids. For this to work, they should be stored below 65°F. Refrigeration certainly works, but it also causes the skin to turn dark.

Taping the stem end

Although there is debate on why this method works, it does slow ripening. You may occasionally even see this done in the stores.

Separation

Separating the bananas rather than leaving them in a bunch might slow ripening a bit.

Freezing bananas

• Most of us have probably thrown bananas that were getting too ripe in the freezer, which is a perfectly acceptable method for preserving them. To do so, choose fully ripe bananas.
• You may put them whole in a freezer container or slice them crosswise into rounds that are ½- to ¾-inch thick. Place the rounds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze, uncovered, for an hour. After an hour, they start to stick to the sheet, so some like to slightly move them at this point and then return to the freezer for another hour. When solid, store in freezer containers.
• Although you can leave the peel on, it is tough to remove once frozen. It may also decrease the quality of the frozen bananas.
• Frozen bananas are best used in smoothies, ice cream, pies, banana bread, and pancakes.

How do you like to use bananas? Is it just good ole banana bread? How about Bananas Foster, banana cake, cupcakes, pancakes or muffins? Or do you have a more unusual method of using bananas? For me, just eating them, particularly if they are chilled, is the way to go!