What’s the deal with bananas and plantains?

I'll start this week with a bit of advice: do not leave a half-eaten banana in the pocket of your gym bag in the back seat of your car on a 100-degree day. What began as a perfectly ripe yellow banana (the first half of which was delicious) transformed into a blackened peel holding a puddle of mushy flesh. 

Now I'll get to the actual topic for this week: bananas and their cousins, plantains. Both fruits belong to the Musaceae family and are technically considered herbs, even though the plants grow from 10 to 25 feet tall. The clusters of fruits can contain from 50 to 150 individual pieces, grouped into bunches of 10 to 25, known as hands. 

These heat-loving plants are native to Southeast Asia, with current commercial producers concentrated in South America. The hundreds of edible varieties of bananas are either sweet bananas (Musa sapienta or Musa nana) or the plantain banana (Musa paradisiaca, sometimes called "potatoes of the air"). 
Although the most common sweet banana varieties feature yellow skin, you can find them in a range of colors at specialty markets or resorts in tropical destinations. 

Bananas were not brought to the United States for sale until the late 19th century. At that time, the market was limited to residents of seaport towns; the fruit was to fragile to be transported very far. 

In the 20th century, bananas became widely available with the development of rapid transport under refrigeration. Today, they are picked and shipped while their skin is still green and the interior fruit unripe. By the time you find them in the grocery bins, they have ripened and sweetened as their skins have turned yellow. 

Bananas are typically eaten raw, swirled into smoothies or mixed into sweet treats like the quick bread in the photo. Fresh, ripe and full of nutrients, they are a favorite snack of athletes.

The texture of sweet bananas changes quickly from firm to soft as they continue to ripen and will turn pudding-like and mushy when heated. 

Plantains, or cooking bananas, earned their nickname because they need to be cooked to be enjoyed. They are starchy and low in sugar, maintaining their shape and dry, dense texture when simmered in soups and stews. Other popular ways to serve plantains are mashed like potatoes or as a snack of crisp, fried rounds. 

When seen together in the supermarket, plantains are longer and thicker than bananas, with a characteristic green skin compared to the yellow-skinned bananas. As bananas ripen, their skin changes from smooth yellow to mottled brown, a sign they may have passed their prime and will be ideal for banana bread or muffins. 

As plantains age, their skin changes from bright green (the ideal condition for most recipes) to yellow dotted with black speckles. At this point their flavor is less bland and slightly sweet, perfect for baking or mashing into a side dish. Once the skin is completely black, consider sautéing them in butter, rum, and brown sugar to serve over ice cream. 

And, don't toss those banana skins directly in the trash. They may be put to use as polishing cloths for silverware, leather shoes and the glossy leaves of your house plants. Be sure to watch the health-food store shelves for gluten-free pasta made from green-banana flour, and look forward to future developments in the purification of contaminated drinking water with minced banana peel. In the meantime, bring a banana to the beach for a convenient, nutritious snack. 

Banana Bread 
1/2 C sugar 
1/4 C packed brown sugar 
1/2 C butter 
2 eggs 
3 very ripe bananas 
1 T orange juice 
2 C flour 
3 t baking powder 
1/2 t salt 
1/2 t cinnamon 
1/4 t nutmeg 
1 C chopped walnuts 

Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat the inside of a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. Add ingredients (except walnuts) to a large bowl in the order listed, mixing well after each addition. Stir in walnuts.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 1 hour.

Plantain Soup 
2 green-skinned plantains 
1 T olive oil 
1 minced shallot 
2 minced garlic cloves 
1/2 C chopped cilantro 
4 C vegetable broth 
salt & pepper, to taste 
1/4 C shredded Parmesan cheese 
1 quartered lime 

Peel the plantains by slicing off both ends and cutting the plantain into 3-inch pieces. With a sharp paring knife, cut 4 slits lengthwise along each piece.

Place the plantains in a bowl of ice water for about 5 minutes to loosen the skin. Remove pieces from the water and peel off the skin. Using the large holes of a box-grater, shred the plantain onto a piece of waxed paper; set aside. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium.

Sauté the shallot and garlic until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the shredded plantain, stirring to combine. Stir in 1/4 C of the cilantro and the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer until the plantain is tender, about 25 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/4 C cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, ladle into soup bowls, garnish with Parmesan cheese and lime wedge. Yield: 4 servings.