GAINESVILLE, Fla., June 28 (Our Florida Times) — Green bananas are not necessarily a mistake at the grocery store. A University of Florida specialist says the fruit can stay green when it is harvested too early or exposed to cold during storage or transport, which can disrupt normal ripening.
Jonathan Crane, a retired tropical fruit crops specialist at the University of Florida’s Tropical Research and Education Center, said bananas picked while immature “won’t ripen properly to full flavor and/or texture.” He said fruit exposed to temperatures that are too cold can develop “chilling injury,” leaving bananas green or greenish-yellow even after extended periods.
Crane said bananas are best stored between 56 and 59 degrees Fahrenheit.
The color difference also matters nutritionally. Lauren Manaker, a South Carolina-based registered dietitian, said both ripe and green bananas provide potassium, vitamin B6 and vitamin C, but greener bananas contain more resistant starch. She said that may make them a better fit for people watching blood sugar.
A 2019 review article hosted by the National Institutes of Health said the most studied benefits of green banana consumption were tied to gastrointestinal symptoms and diseases, followed by glycemic and insulin metabolism and weight control. The review also described green bananas as a source of fiber, minerals, phenolic compounds and resistant starch.
