Plantain Banana

Selection Information

Usage: Cooked or fried when green - used in dessert dishes when ripe.

Selection: Also called Platano, good-quality Plantains look like over-ripe bananas with dark spots and scars, but they should be fairly firm. The best Plantain for frying is still green-skinned.

Avoid: Avoid product that has completely black skin and is soft or has spots of mold.

Seasonal Information

Available year-round from Ecuador and Mexico.

Plantain 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

Low Fat, Sodium-free, Source of fiber and potassium,
Source of vitamin C & B6, Cholesterol-free.

Banana Tips & Trivia

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.
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)