How to Buy Plantains

A low-sugar, starchy member of the banana family, plantains have thicker skins and are longer than bananas. Frequently found in Caribbean, Latin American and West African dishes, they're usually baked or fried. High in potassium and Vitamins A, B6 and C, plantains have a different taste at every stage of ripening. Read the following steps to learn how to buy plantains.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Find plantains year round in the fresh produce area of most supermarkets. They typically sit next to bananas on display shelves.

2. Buy green plantains in their unripe stage if you want to boil them. Cut them into two-inch sections and boil them until they have the consistency of boiled potatoes.

3. Choose semi-ripe plantains, which appear mottled brown and yellow, for a less sweet flavor that's not as bland as green, unripe plantains. Deep fry thick slices in this stage.

4. Purchase fully ripe plantains, which turn to a dark black color, for a sweeter taste.

5. Consider buying overripe plantains, when their black skin assumes a white sheen. Although they appear rotten at this stage, they peel easily and taste their sweetest. When overripe, plantains turn caramel as they cook.

6. Try a bag of plantain chips. These chips are made by slicing ripe plantains and deep frying them in a kettle, a similar process to making potato chips. Plantain chips are sweeter.

Tips & Warnings

• Unlike bananas, you must cook plantains before eating them.

• Sometimes called potatoes of the air, plantains are called "machos" in some areas.

• You can dry and crush plantains into basic flour.