Friday, July 24, 2009

Follow up: My obsession with bananas

My non-Singaporean buddy at work told me something interesting regarding my previous post on my sudden obsession with bananas.

Did you know that in the States it's not uncommon for grocers and shippers to use ethylene gas to ripen green bananas?

I'm serious here.

The shippers will ship in very very green bananas from tropical lands far far away. Then, when it's time to put them on the shelves, they gas 'em. As in, they load them on grates, shut them in a chamber and pump ethylene gas into the room to make the bananas turn from green to yellow.

According to the guys on the internet and a website about ethylene gas, they use this stuff on numerous produce such as tomatoes and avocados too.

These fruits naturally produce ethylene gas in small quantities and over a longer period of time, ripen by themselves. (Anyone, please correct me if I'm wrong.) So I guess these guys could argue that they're merely speeding up a natural process.

I'm not convinced. The bananas that ripen on their own taste a lot better to me. Perhaps, we should let them be ready in their own time. I know I don't like to be rushed.

And bananas that are rushed to be ready will behave just as I do when I'm rushed.

Not sweet or pleasant.

5 comments:

My Three Sons said...

That just sounds terrible. I just made banana bread tonight. Do you think they taste different over there then here? Just curious.

Have a great weekend.

Megan said...

They really do taste different here. And by different I mean better. They're sweeter and just taste fresh. The only bad part is they go bad quicker than back home. They'll go black within 2 or 3 days. I don't know if it's just because of the heat/humidity or because they're not gassed. I don't mind though because they're so cheap here. I pay $1 for 5 bananas.

Travis said...

Bananas are a Superfood.

Unknown said...

Monkeys and bananas, Hmmmmmm? I wonder about you girl. Yup Megan, it's the heat and humidity here that makes them go bad quick.

Joleene said...

When I see bananas I think of you. I will have to eat a fresh banana someday. I'll put it on my to do list.