Boiled Green Bananas

In most Jamaican homes eating Boiled Green Bananas as a side is common, although it might seem difficult to peel the skin, with practice it becomes much easier over time. Boiled green bananas are delicious served as a side dish with Vegan Ackee, Vegan  Jamaican Salt Fish, and Jamaican Callaloo. 

Can You Eat Green Bananas?

Yes, you can eat green bananas, they are less sweet than ripen bananas, they are starchier and firmer,  so they are ideal to be boiled and eating like potatoes. 

The starches in green bananas are resistant starches, they are not digested in the small intestines. Instead, they go into the large intestines where they are fermented by intestinal bacteria. producing short-chain fatty acids. They can be absorbed into the body through the colon or stay in the colon to be used by the bacteria in the colon for energy.

Green Banana Nutrition

Research has shown that the resistance starches in the green bananas can help us stay lean, keep us feeling full, lower blood sugar, improves digestion, lower cholesterol. 1, 2, 3.

Where Can I Buy Green Bananas?

Green banana is sold in Caribbean supermarkets, I usually purchase green or underripe bananas from the produce aisle, the ones that are sold for ripe bananas.

All green bananas will eventually ripen so purchasing the green ones in the regular supermarket works fine, just make sure they are green and firm to touch.

The advantage of purchasing green banana from the Caribbean store is they sell green bananas for cooking purposes so the price is usually 50 percent less than the green banana in a regular supermarket that is sold for eating ripen. 

Make sure your banana is dark green and not showing any yellow. It should feel firm to touch and not give when pressed. 

How To Keep Bananas Green?

1. Store green banana in the refrigerator away from other fruits to prevent them from ripening. 
2. Wrap the stems with plastic or foil, this will prevent the ethylene gas from leaving the bananas. The wraps stems will also prevent the absorption of ethylene gas from other fruits nearby.

Can You Freeze Green Bananas?

Yes, you can freeze green bananas long-term for over 6 months. Wash them, cut off both ends of each banana, make a slit along the side. Store them in a freezer bag or container and place in the freezer. 

To cook your frozen green bananas, no need to thaw. Just bring water with salt to a boil, add green bananas and boil until tender. Drain water, cool enough to handle, and remove the skin.

How To Cook Boiled Green Banana?

When it comes to green cooking bananas, you don’t need any special skills to cook them. The hardest part is the peeling of the bananas, but don’t worry I’m going to share with you two methods. 

The first one is:

1. Cooking the peeled green bananas.

The second method is:

      2. Cooking the green banana without peeling. 

I use the first method when my green bananas are fresh and the second method when my green bananas are frozen. Yes if you never tried freezing green bananas then you should. 

You can also use the second method when your bananas are fresh, some people find it easier to handle.

Method One: 

1. Bring salted water to boil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
2. Wash each banana, cut across the top of the banana and also the bottom but don’t go all the through.
3. Cut lengthwise along the skin, like you are scoring the skin, and try not to cut into the flesh. 
4. Hold the banana with one hand while using the thumb the remove the skin from the white flesh. 
5. If the water isn’t boiling then place peeled bananas in a bowl with cold water.

1. Transfer peeled bananas to the boiling water. 
2. Bring to boil, cover the pot, and reduce to simmer for about 20 minutes or until tender. 

Method Two: 

1. Cut off both ends of each banana, make a slit along the side. 
2. Add bananas to boiling salted water and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. 
3. Drain water, allow bananas to cool enough to handle or run under cold water. Remove the skin and serve. 

Chef’s Tips

1. Rub cooking oil on your hands, to prevent the tannins from sticking to your hands leaving a sticky residue.
2. Place peeled green bananas in cold water while you wait for the water to boil.
3. Add some lemon juice to the water to prevent bananas from turning brown.
4. Add a little oil to the water, the dark scum will rise to the top. You can use a spoon to scoop it from the top of the boiling water and discard it. 

Other Recipes With Green Bananas

1. Green Banana Rundown
2. Green Banana Dumplings
3. Jamaican Blue Draws
4. Guineos En Escabeche (Pickled Green Banana Salad)

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