GAINESVILLE, Fla., June 28 (Our Florida Times) — Green bananas are not necessarily a bad sign, and a University of Florida tropical fruit specialist says premature harvesting or cold storage can keep the fruit from ripening normally.
Jonathan Crane, a retired tropical fruit crops specialist at the University of Florida’s Tropical Research and Education Center, said bananas picked while immature may never reach full flavor or texture. He said fruit exposed to temperatures that are too cold during storage or transport can develop chilling injury and remain green or greenish-yellow.
Crane said bananas are best stored between 56 and 59 degrees Fahrenheit. He also said cold conditions during shipping or handling can interfere with the fruit’s normal ripening process.
Nutrition experts cited in the reporting said the greener stage of the fruit has a different profile from a ripe banana. Lauren Manaker, a South Carolina-based registered dietitian, said both ripe and green bananas provide potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C and other nutrients, but green bananas contain more resistant starch, which may have a gentler effect on blood sugar.
A peer-reviewed review published on the National Institutes of Health’s PMC platform 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, vitamins, minerals, phenolic compounds and resistant starch.
