Go Bananas!

Bananas are great on their own, but don’t stop there! You can have a blast cooking with bananas, starting right here with our great ideas.

Originally grown around Malaysia, bananas made their way to India and eventually to the West, but it was not until 1876 that Americans first tasted the banana. They were served in Pennsylvania at a celebration of the hundredth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. And we’ve been finding innovative ways to eat and serve them ever since!

Luckily, bananas are available year round. Although they may be green or greenish yellow in the store, they are ripe when they are fully yellow.

Never ripen in the refrigerator, only at room temperature. If not using right away once they are ripe, you can store in the refrigerator, but know that even though the skin will turn black, the flesh of the banana is fine underneath.

Another option is to peel and freeze until ready to use. Look for Whole Trade bananas, available only in Whole Foods Market® stores. Our Whole Trade® Guarantee opens in a new tab ensures fair prices are paid for products, better wages and working conditions and sound environmental practices. We’ve built relationships with some of the world’s best and most socially and environmentally innovative banana growers.

Considering the social and environmental problems that have resulted from large-scale banana production in many Latin American countries, we are proud to offer this excellent fruit from growers that are truly part of the solution. Bananas are great on their own, but don’t stop there! Y

ou can have a blast cooking with bananas, starting right here with our great ideas.

When I was five years old, I got caught red-handed with a banana in each (red) hand, peeled and ready to eat. It earned me the nickname I carried for years: Alana Banana from Louisiana.
Do you have a banana story? What about a favorite snack or recipe? I’d love to hear.

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