About Plantains

• Plantains are flatter and longer than normal bananas, with a milder flavor
• Often cooked like potatoes because they contain less sugar and more starch than other bananas
• Now becoming popular in Europe

Selecting

Plantains should be firm and not mushy or cracked.  They can be purchased at any color stage; green, yellow, or black, depending on how you want to eat them.

Storing

Store fruit at room temperature to promote ideal ripening.  Higher storage temperature will speed the ripening process.  Do not refrigerate; plantains perish if stored below 8°C.

Eating

Plantains become sweeter as they ripen. Green, unripe plantains are firm and starchy – a tasty potato substitute, usually boiled and mashed.  Yellow plantains are sweeter and delicious baked, fried (“tajadas” in South America) or mashed. Ripe, black plantains are very sweet and soft: to be enjoyed fresh from the hand or fried as a dessert.

Availability

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec

Growing regions

Widely in Latin America, the Caribbean and Central Africa.