Bananas

Before purchasing, discover everything you need to know about popular banana varieties, grades and standards, and storage and handling.

There are no USDA grade standards for bananas. Bananas are generally categorized as Industry Grade No. 1 premium by major banana companies as part of their own growing standards. Smaller bananas sometimes are Industry Grade No. 2.

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

• Bananas are picked off the plant green, and shipped under refrigeration to wholesalers, who then ripen them

• Bananas are ordered by level of ripeness

• The ideal stage for delivery is typically stage 5 (yellow with green tips)

• The riper the banana, the sweeter the flavor

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Poor temperature management causes overripe, damaged or chilled fruit, so it's crucial that bananas be handled with care.

• Exposure to extreme hot or cold temperatures should be minimized

• Banana pulp temperatures should be maintained between 56-65℉

• Typical shelf life is 3-7 days for ripened bananas, depending on conditions

• Handle with care. Bananas are fragile and easily damaged or bruised when cases are dropped or thrown

Storage Tips

• To speed ripening if bananas are too green, leave them in the box stacked on top of each other

• To slow ripening, take the lids off the boxes, open the plastic liner and air-stack or stagger-stack the boxes to ventilate