The ripening process is a natural part of fruit growing but not many know how it happens. As such many have bought green bananas that, try as they might, never seem to ripen. These are organic bananas and there’s a critical difference between these and the ordinary bananas we buy that makes them harder to ripen. If you’ve ever been in this sort of predicament and wanted to know how to get yourself out of it in future read on. We will explore organic bananas, why they take so long to ripen and what you can do about it.
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What Are Organic Bananas?
Organic bananas are bananas that are grown without the use of any synthetic fertilisers, pesticides or agents in their growth. They are widely consumed across the world and are mostly grown in tropical climate regions. Bananas are important fruits from a nutritional perspective being high in Vitamin B6, essential amino acid tryptophan, potassium and of course dietary fibre. According to health enthusiasts, organic bananas are even higher in these vitamins and minerals. So how does the difference of not using synthetic chemicals in growing organic bananas make it so hard to ripen them?
Why Organic Bananas Are Hard To Ripen
Fruits ripen naturally and organically without the use of chemical agents. That is to say, they can. However, one little known thing about the bananas we buy regularly is that they are unnaturally assisted in the ripening process. These are either sprayed with or dipped in a synthetic version of ethylene. This is a substance that fruits give off naturally in the process of ripening in gas form. With non-organic bananas, this is done to help them ripen quicker and is usually timed for them going to market as ripe bananas. As mentioned before organic bananas do not employ any synthetic agents in their growth, harvesting or bringing them to market. So organic bananas will ripen at a slower pace than non-organic bananas. The trick here is to get your organic bananas to ripen faster and there are a few simple rules you can follow to get your organic bananas ripe as quickly as possible.
Plastic Bag
The first way to ripen organic bananas faster is to use a plastic bag. Freezer bags are really good for this purpose and resealable will be the best. Bananas like most other fruits naturally produce ethylene gas but not in large quantities. The trick with the plastic bag is to trap the ethylene gas in the bag to increase the concentration of the ethylene gas. You need to make sure the bag is airtight and doesn’t release any of the ethylene gas from the fruits. When buying and placing organic bananas in the bag make sure they are in a bunch and do not split them up. You can expect your bananas to ripen within 12 – 24 hours depending on how far along they were in the ripening process when you bought them. It’s best to store them in a warm, dark place.
Paper Bag
The same way you can use plastic bags to ripen your organic bananas you can
Also use paper bags. If you’re in a hotter climate or its during the warmer months then a paper bag may be preferred to plastic bags. Because of their airtightness plastic bags may lead to sweating and overheating of your organic bananas. The same rules will apply when buying your bananas, make sure you buy them in a bunch and do not split up the bunch before they have ripened. Brown paper bags will not let ethylene gas out of the bag but will allow your fruit to breathe as it ripens. As such you can expect your organic bananas to ripen within 48 hours of putting them in the bag.
Warm Place
Whether you choose to ripen your organic bananas in paper or plastic bags you are best served by keeping them in a warm place while you ripen them. The ideal temperature for ripening organic bananas from a chemistry standpoint is 20 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, you will get both a sweet fruit with a soft pulp. The ideal place for this temperature is in the pantry if you are in warmer climates or times. In cooler places, you can place them on top of a refrigerator which radiates heat as it does its job of cooling the food inside. You can expect your organic bananas to ripen in 24-48 hours when kept in a warm place.
In The Oven
Ripening your organic bananas in the oven works but there are a few conditions that need to be met before you use this method. Firstly the method will not work if the bananas are overly green. It is best employed when you have bananas that are close to ripe. Secondly, the process rapidly speeds up the ripening process so this is best done with bananas you want to use immediately and best done with bananas you intend to use in a cooked or baked recipe. Preheat your oven to 150 degrees Celsius. Place the bananas with peels intact onto a baking sheet and place the sheet in the oven. You will need to allow 20 minutes after which you need to check on your bananas frequently. You can expect them to be done in 30 minutes. Do not be discouraged if the bananas start to blacken. Use the feel of the banana to assess its ripeness.
In The Microwave
Finally, you can ripen your organic bananas in the microwave if you need to do it quickly. Same caveats apply as with ripening them in the oven. The process is a little different from this method. Using a fork you need to poke many holes in the peels of your bananas. Once done place the bananas in the microwave for 30 seconds. Check the feel of the banana. If it doesn’t feel as soft as you would like put in the microwave for another 30 seconds. Repeat this process until desired softness is reached.
Ripening organic bananas is best done in a plastic or paper bag stored in a warm dark place. You can finish off the ripening process in an oven or microwave.