Ripen Plantains
Plantains are a part of the banana family and look similar in appearance, but compared to bananas, plantains are far starchier and contain less sugar. Plantains can be included in many recipes or eaten raw. Plantains can take longer to ripen than other fruit and it is difficult to find ripe plantains in the supermarket. You can let plantains sit out to ripen or speed up the process by ripening them in a paper bag.
Contents
Steps
Ripening a Plantain Naturally
- Choose the right environment to ripen your plantain. You can ripen plantains in your own kitchen. However, make sure you choose the right place to ripen your fruit.
- Plantains ripen best in a warm and well-ventilated place. If your kitchen is very cold or stuffy, try to find another room in your house to ripen them.
- Plantains can ripen in cooler environments. It just may take longer.
- Allow your plantains to sit undisturbed. Plantains will ripen fastest if they're not bothered. Keep them out of reach of children and pets. Do not handle your plantains while they're ripening. Plantains are usually not sold ripe in the stores and take awhile to ripen on their own. Your plantains will need to sit undisturbed for awhile to get them adequately ripe.
- Give it enough time. It should take 7 to 11 days for a plantain to ripen. In a warmer environment, you can expect plantains to ripen faster. A plantain is ripe when it's black and wrinkled in appearance and soft to the touch. A plantain should not need to be poked too hard to yield to the pressure of your finger when it is ripe.
Ripening Plantains in a Paper Bag
- Store plantains in a paper bag. If you need plantains to ripen quicker, you can store them in a paper bag. Place your plantains in a paper bag. You do not need to close the bag all the way. In fact, it is best to only close the bag loosely.
- Set the plantains somewhere in your kitchen. Choose a spot where they can ripen undisturbed. Keep them out of reach of pets and children.
- Remember, a warm and well ventilated environment is best for ripening plantains.
- Check the plantains over the course of two weeks. Plantains generally take about two weeks to ripen. However, plantains may ripen quicker if they're in a paper bag. Check them frequently over the course of two weeks and remove them from the bag once they ripen.
- Remember, ripe plantains are black and wrinkled in appearance and soft to the touch.
Avoiding Common Mistakes
- Recognize when your plantain is ripe. Many people assume a plantain ripens the same way as a banana. While the fruits look similar, plantains look much different than bananas when ripe. While you can fry or bake plantains before they're completely ripe, if you intend to eat them raw you need to wait until they're ripe.
- Plantains are mostly black when ripe with a few yellow streaks.
- Plantains that are completely black are still edible, but may be a little overripe.
- Avoid refrigerating plantains. Plantains are best left unrefrigerated. This is especially true if they have not yet ripened. Refrain from refrigerating plantains until they're at your desired stage of ripeness.
Tips
- When shopping at a local market that offers discounted prices on overripe produce, look specifically for plantains in the discount bin. Some merchants are unfamiliar with the ripening process of plantains, and may sell under-ripe plantains for discounted prices, or confuse them with bananas.
- If you prefer the starchy taste of plantains, fry or boil plantains when they are under-ripe and green in color. Green plantains will maintain a heavily starchy taste similar to that of potatoes.
Warnings
- Do not stack your plantains. You should lay plantains side by side instead of stacking them. Stacking plantains may increase the accumulation of mildew. For best results when ripening plantains, avoid stacking them together.
