GAINESVILLE, Fla., June 28 (Our Florida Times) — Florida shoppers who pick up green bananas may not be buying spoiled fruit: a University of Florida specialist says cold storage can interfere with ripening, while greener bananas can carry more resistant starch than ripe ones.
Jonathan Crane, a retired tropical fruit crops specialist at the University of Florida’s Tropical Research and Education Center, said bananas harvested before they are mature “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. Lauren Manaker, a South Carolina-based registered dietitian, said both green and ripe bananas provide potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C and other nutrients, but greener fruit has more resistant starch and may have a gentler effect on blood sugar.
A 2019 review published on the NIH-hosted PubMed Central site 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 said green bananas are a source of fiber, vitamins, minerals, phenolic compounds and resistant starch.
