With beautifully sweet flesh, bananas are the perfect snack food – they also come in natural packaging! Bananas are believed to be native to the tropical region of Southern Asia, and were brought to the Western World through the journeys of Alexander the Great. You can use them in cakes, as a dessert, in smoothies, muffins, or as a complement to chicken, pork or veal.

How do we make sure we provide top quality bananas?

Firstly, we investigate the colour:

•        if you ask for ripe bananas, we make sure the skin is a bright yellow (which means that the starches in the banana have been converted to sugar).
•        if you ask for semi-ripe bananas, we make sure the yellow colour is just starting to take from the green.

We also make sure there is no pest damage at the stem or flower end, and that the banana is firm to the touch.

Where do we source our bananas from?

Bananas grow in tropical, humid conditions. Our bananas usually come from Tropical North Queensland, South-East Queensland, or Northern New South Wales (such as around Coffs Harbour and Lismore). In the southern areas, the crops are usually located on steep north-facing hillsides – to maximise the winter sun and to get above the frost level, away from the cold. They are harvested when they are mature but still green, otherwise they tend to split and become starchy during transportation.

Bananas are believed to be native to the tropical region of Southern Asia, and were brought to the Western World through the journeys of Alexander the Great. Interestingly, the banana tree is actually a giant herb, and each stem flowers and bears fruit only once!

What is the best way to keep bananas?

You are best to store semi-ripe bananas at 13.5°C and 95% relative humidity. Ripe bananas store best at 13.5°C and 85% relative humidity. They ripen most pleasantly at room temperature. Make sure the bananas are not exposed to temperatures above 32°C, as a condition known as ‘boiling’ tends to set in. At the other end of the spectrum, make sure you don’t expose the bananas to temperatures below 13°C, or ‘chilling’ injury tends to set in.

Banana nutritional information

Bananas are an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate, fibre and potassium. They are also a fantastic source of complex carbohydrates and energy, and a solid source of vitamin B6 and potassium.

Bananas seasonal information

Bananas are available all year round.

Banana serving tips and suggestions

If using in a salad, you can avoid Cavendish’s going brown by lightly sprinkling them with lemon juice.