Thursday, April 1, 2010

The Great Plantain Ripening Experiment

I've heard that you can get plantains to ripen faster by placing them in a brown paper bag with an apple.  I've also heard that you can get plantains to ripe faster by placing them in a brown paper bag with an orange.  Maybe I've been working on my research study too much, but I felt like experimenting last week.

the control, condition A (apple), and condition O (orange)

I didn't have any brown paper bags around, so I used these grocery bags from Trader Joe's and stapled closed.

1 week later: not much of a difference between the control and the two conditions

So there you have it.  A failed experiment that left me with nothing but an overripe orange.  In conclusion, you can't alter time.  That only works on Lost.

3 comments:

  1. In my vast research and culinary experience (haha), bananas tend to ripen other fruits in paper bags whether intentionally or inadvertently. Yes, even though I am also a gringa, I am aware that plantains are not bananas. But, maybe a banana would have worked?

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  2. In MY vast research, mangoes do quite well in brown bags simply by themselves. Ripen them up real quick by sticking the bag in a dark cabinet. But don't forget them, because that turns ugly fast. You can also put bananas (possibly plantains as well?) in random corners of the room away from each other so they don't ripen too fast. I discovered this at a friends house, "why is there a banana on your mantel?" PS: sad about the lack of significance of the research *sigh*

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  3. Hey...I have two very important reasons why my apartment looks like the cover of a Highlights magazine after I buy bananas. 1: so the bananas don't give each other spots 2: so I don't forget to eat them before they start imitating a dalmation

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