The life-cycle of a banana

Here at FFTO HQ we've eaten many a banana, but did you know HOW a banana spends its life? What are the differences between a ripe, and an underripe banana? (Apart from the obvious colour difference!) Read on and we'll explain all!

So first off, what are the different stages a banana goes through from being picked, to finally being eaten (or, if it's a sad tale, put in the bin!)

Here you can see the varying stages and colours of a banana. Who knew it had such a full and rich life?! In case you're wondering, we usually send our bananas to you either stage 4 or 5.

So, what exactly are the differences between an underripe, and overripe banana?

Well, underripe, or green bananas, have less sugar so are perfect if you have diabetes. As they ripen, the starch turns into sugar, making them sweeter. However, you may find that these bananas can give you a stomachache as the starch is more "resistant", but don't worry, your "good gut bacteria" likes it!

That's why, if you have digestive troubles, slightly overripe bananas are the better pick as they are much easier to digest.

If you let your banana go brown, all the starch has broken down into sugar (this is why brown bananas are used to bake as they are so much sweeter!). The chlorophyll in the banana has taken on a new form by breaking down, which means as the banana ages the antioxidant levels increase. A fully brown banana is packed full of antioxidants.

If you like your bananas yellow, what can you do to slow down their "ageing"?

We recommend you remove the bananas from any packaging they may be in, as they may "sweat" and ripen quicker. We also recommend they are kept in a cool environment, such as an air-conditioned room. You can also wrap the stems in clingfilm, as for some magic reason this slows down the ripening process, as demonstrated below:

If you have any other top tips on how to store bananas, let us know @office_fruit!