Available all year round, bananas should be plump. The skin of the banana should be free of bruises as well as black and brown spots. Bananas should be purchased green and allowed to ripen at home.

The very popular yellow banana of Cavendish is the banana we see in grocery stores. However, Plantains, Finger Bananas and Red Bananas are also popular varieties. Most have a soft texture when ripe.

Bananas may be ripened at room temperature until they reach the desired stage, then refrigerated and used in a short period of time. Refrigeration may darken the outside of the bananas, but this will not affect the fruit on the inside. In fact, refrigeration allows for longer storage of bananas.

Quick Banana Facts

• A peanut butter and banana sandwich drizzled with honey is an all-time favorite comfort food.
• Add chopped bananas, walnuts and maple syrup to oatmeal.
• If you want to ripen bananas even more quickly, wrap them in a wet paper towel and place them into a brown paper sack.
• The new size of miniature bananas now appearing in supermarkets has more taste than many of the larger ones.
• Banana chips are usually fried in coconut oil and is not a good nutritious snack like a banana or air dried banana chips. One ounce of fried chips can have as much as 150 calories and up to 10 grams of fat, much of which is saturated.
• Americans consume 25 pounds of bananas per person annually.
• Bananas contain less water than most other fruits.
• Bananas are a type of berry from a tree classified as an herb tree which can grow up to 30 feet high.
• Bananas are the largest plant in the world without a woody stem.

• Cavandish:  This is the standard banana that we normally purchase and for the most part is grown in South America.
• Manzano:  Called finger bananas and turn black when they are ripe.
• Plantains:  Very large green bananas and turn black when they are ripe.
• Red Bananas:  Not usually curved, they turn a purplish color when ripe. Sweet tasting.

• To reduce the amount of food discolorization, slice bananas, apples, pears, plums and peaches with a stainless steel knife, then either combine them with any citrus fruit or sprinkle them with lemon or pineapple juice. Refrigerate as soon as possible.
• If a green banana is placed next to a ripe banana, it will ripen more quickly.
• Unpeeled bananas will last longer if stored in the refrigerator in a sealed jar.
• If you slice bananas with a sterling silver knife they will not darken as fast. Old wives tale?

See also:
Food Bytes: Bananas
The Power Behind Bananas

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