Banana cultivation in your country (Banana Farming) occurs on a large scale. Farmers earn good money from it, but most of them do not know the proper scientific method from harvesting to cooking. Due to this there is a possibility of wastage, which can harm the farmers. In such a situation, it is very important for us farmers to know these things. It takes 100-120 days from bunching to full maturity and harvesting of bunches. How to assess the ripeness of banana fruits, for this it is important to keep some things in mind. When the color of the peel starts changing from dark green to light green or the angularity on the fruits disappears, then the farmer should start the preparation.
Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Professor (Plant Pathology), Central Agricultural University, Samastipur, tells TV9K that the ripe fruits of banana should be cut with a sharp knife along with the stalk for ease of handling and transportation. Avoid placing cut fruits directly on the soil, as this can damage the fruit and spoil the fruit. After cutting the banana bunches, the fruits should be placed on the banana leaves. At the time of harvesting and transportation, care should be taken that the fruits have minimal or no wounds. Proper care is required when handling and transporting bunches. If there is no damage, the fruit gets a better price in the markets.
How to cook banana scientifically?
Ripening of fruits is the process by which fruits acquire their desired taste, quality, colour, nature and other artificial properties. Ripening is related to the change in composition i.e. the conversion of starch into sugar. Almost all methods of ripening banana fruits are either traditional or modern chemical, which come with their own merits and demerits. There are many simple techniques and methods available to farmers today for proper ripening. Under natural conditions ethylene plays a major role in the ripening process.
What is Ethylene?
The only safe and globally accepted method of fruit ripening is the use of ethylene, a natural hormone for ripening under controlled temperature and relative humidity conditions. It is a de-greening agent, which can change the skin color from green to perfect yellow (in the case of banana) and retain the sweetness and aroma of the fruit. Thus value addition is possible in the fruit, as it looks more attractive. Using diluted ethylene gas mixture is safer than using pure ethylene.
How to prepare batter for ripening banana?
Immerse raw banana fruits in 1 ml of Athral solution in one liter of water and let it dry. In this method the fruit ripens within two days. There is another method, in which 10 ml of Ethral and 2 g of sodium hydroxide pellets are mixed in five liters of water in a wide mouthed vessel. This vessel is kept inside near the ripening fruits and the room is air-tight. About one third of the room is filled with fruits leaving the remaining area for air circulation. The ripening of fruits takes about 12 to 24 hours. Cooking by keeping mango and papaya etc in this room can reduce the cost of chemicals.
use bags too
Place the raw bananas inside the paper bag. Bananas contain gas which makes them ripen inside the bag. For this, you wrap all the bananas in any cloth and keep them easily in a paper bag, then they will be ripe soon. Bananas contain ethylene gas, with the help of which they are easily ripened. This gas comes out with the help of the stalk which is above the banana. If you want that the banana does not ripen quickly, then you can wrap this stalk with a paper bag and close it. If you want to ripen bananas as soon as possible, then keep them together. These bananas will not ripen if kept separately. That is why you should cook bananas only by keeping them in bunches. By wrapping all the bananas together in foil paper, bananas can be cooked easily. In this process, the bananas will be fully ripe within 24 hours. If you cook some ripe fruits with raw bananas, then this process will be completed more quickly. Bananas harvested at the right maturity automatically ripen in 3 to 4 days in the summer season without any chemicals.
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Do not use calcium carbide
Never ripen any fruit with calcium carbide. Industrial grade calcium carbide usually contains arsenic and phosphorus. The use of this chemical is illegal in most countries. Calcium carbide, once dissolved in water, produces acetylene which acts as a synthetic ripening agent. Acetylene is believed to affect the nervous system by reducing the supply of oxygen to the brain. Arsenic and phosphorus are toxic and exposure can cause serious health hazards.
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