Banana (Cavendish)

(Scientific Name: Musa (AAA group) 'Dwarf Cavendish')

Selection Information

Usage: Eating fresh, baking breads, in fruit salads and cooking.

Selection: Depending on your preference for ripeness, bananas should have even coloring except for the tips (which may be slightly green on a ripe fruit). Small to medium-sized bananas are often thought to have better flavor, but this is not always the case.

Do not refrigerate bananas until they are ripe. When you put them into the refrigerator they will turn black, but the insides will ripen slower.

Avoid: Avoid bananas with soft spots, black and moldy stems or patches of different colors. Gray-yellow or dull yellow bananas are an indicator of improper temperature handling and will probably not develop full flavor.

Storage: To ripen green bananas, put them into a plastic bag, seal it and place the bag in a warm place like on top of your refrigerator. This will cause the bananas to heat up which speeds the ripening process. You can also put other green fruit like peaches and pears into the bag with a ripe banana, and they will ripen faster as well! You can freeze bananas! Just peel and store in plastic bags up to 6 months.

Seasonal Information

Bananas are available year-round at stable production levels due to the large number of banana-growing countries. Costa Rica and Ecuador are the largest exporters of bananas.

Banana Nutritional Information

Serving Size: 1 medium banana (126g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 110	Calories from Fat 0
	% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0	0%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 0mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 29g	10%
Dietary Fiber 4g	16%
Potassium 400mg	10%
Sugars 21g
Protein 1g
Vitamin A 0%	Vitamin C 15%
Calcium 0%	Iron 0%
Vitamin B6 20%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. Source: PMA's Labeling Facts

Bananas are Low Fat, Cholesterol-free, and Sodium-free. They're also a good source of fiber and potassium, and a great source of vitamin C & B6.

Banana Tips & Trivia

Thaw and drain frozen extra-ripe bananas and use in baked goods... or slice frozen into blender drinks. Have for breakfast, snack, refreshment or as a frosty ice cream-like dessert without all the extra fat or calories.
Sauté green-tipped bananas until brown in just enough margarine or cooking spray to coat. Serve as a side dish or "starch" with chicken, pork or even fish.
As the green color of bananas turns to yellow, the starch in the fruit turns to sugar.
Alexander the Great discovered bananas in his conquest of India in 327 B.C.
Bananas don't grow on trees, as is commonly believed. They grow on compacted, water-filled leaf stalks that grow up to 25 feet high. They are the world's largest herb. (Source: The Packer, 9/9/89)