Waiting for bananas to ripen can be frustrating, especially when they stay green for days. However, they may still be worth eating. Food experts say there are several reasons some bananas never ripen as expected, and that greener fruit may offer different benefits than riper fruits.

Benefits of Green Bananas

Jonathan Crane, a retired tropical fruit crops specialist at the University of Florida’s Tropical Research and Education Center, explained that bananas harvested immature won’t ripen properly to full flavor and/or texture. Shoppers can sometimes spot less mature bananas by their shape, according to Crane. Bananas with a sharp angle to the fruit are less mature or immature compared to mature bananas, which have a smoothed-out or rounded shape.

Storage conditions can also interfere with ripening. Bananas exposed to temperatures that are too cold during storage or transportation can develop what is known as ‘chilling injury,’ Crane noted. This condition can disrupt the fruit’s normal ripening process, leaving bananas green or greenish-yellow even after extended periods of time.

However, consumers frustrated by stubbornly green bananas may still find the fruit worth eating. Both stages offer potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and other nutrients, according to South Carolina-based registered dietitian Lauren Manaker. Green bananas contain more resistant starch, a type of carbohydrate that acts similarly to fiber and is digested more slowly by the body.

The higher resistant starch content means greener bananas tend to be less sweet and may have a gentler effect on blood sugar levels, Manaker said. As bananas ripen, much of that resistant starch is converted into natural sugars. Manaker recommends considering how the fruit fits into your overall nutrition and daily eating habits, rather than focusing on a banana’s color alone.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.