How to Peel a Plantain in 4 Steps

Plantains (Musa paradisiaca) are large, gluten-free, seedless berries in the banana family that are starchy. Sometimes sweet (when ripe), sometimes savory (when unripe), you can prepare them in a variety of ways. The coloring of plantains, sometimes called “green bananas,” changes from green to yellow to brown to black as it ripens. Plantains are closely related to bananas, but you should always cook them before you eat them. Cook plantains like you would cook potatoes: boil, fry, or roast them.

Unripe plantains have a drier texture, but they retain their shape after you cook them. Ripe plantains, however, are softer and sometimes even mushy. You can use plantains in a variety of sweet or savory dishes. For example, plátanos maduros is a popular fried sweet plantain dish in Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Colombia, and other Latin American countries. Meanwhile, mangú is a savory Dominican breakfast side dish, similar to mashed potatoes.

Plantains are high in nutritional value and may have several health benefits. They are a rich source of potassium, calcium, and magnesium, as well as Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and Vitamin B-6. Plantains are also high in antioxidant activity.

Plantains are easy to peel and make nutritious additions to various meals. How you peel a plantain can depend on its ripeness. Follow this step-by-step guide to peeling a plantain:

1. 1. Cut off the ends of the plantain. Lay your unripe or ripe plantain on its side on a clean cutting board. Use a sharp paring knife to slice off about an inch from each end.
2. 2. Slice along the length of the plantain. Use the tip of your knife to cut lengthways along the plantain’s ridges. Avoid sticking the knife in too deeply. You only want to cut the skin, not the fruit.
3. 3. Steam or boil the plantain (optional). At this point, you can either peel off the rest of the ripened plantain peel using your fingers or a knife, but for a green plantain, you can try steaming or boiling the plantain to make its skin easier to remove. To boil off a plantain’s skin, bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and let the plantain boil until the skin starts to peel off. You can also place the plantain in a steamer for ten minutes, which should have the same effect.
4. 4. Remove the peel. If you’ve boiled or steamed your plantain, you’ll likely only need your fingers to peel it. However, raw green plantain skin will not peel off cleanly. Use a knife to carefully slice off the rest of the skin.

Plantains account for one-fifth of worldwide banana production. Here are some ways that you can use ripe and unripe plantain peels:

1. 1. Skincare: Plantain peels contain amino acids and may have skincare effects such as anti-wrinkle properties, reduction in acne and scarring, as well as allergy treatments.
2. 2. Black soap: West African black soap derives from dried, burned plantain peels and other plant matter. The ash from the process gets soaked and treated, which turns it into raw material for soap-making.
3. 3. Compost: Plantain peels will make a great organic ingredient to your compost to feed your garden soil. Simply cut your peels into small pieces and toss them in your composting medium (leaving the peels whole will take longer to compost).
   

The plantain fruit itself is most commonly used in dishes. Some plantain recipes include:

1. 1. Tostones: Tostones, sometimes called “patacones,” are thick slices of unripe plantains that you fry until tender. Then, you smash and fry again until crisp and golden brown. This is one of the most popular ways to prepare plantains, enjoyed in many Caribbean countries. In Haiti, they’re known as “bannann peze.”
2. 2. Plantain chips: Plantain chips are a crunchy and tasty snack similar to banana chips, but they’re more savory. Thinly sliced green plantains get fried until they are crispy. Then they get seasoned with salt. They are sometimes called “tajadas” in parts of Central and South America, where they are longer.
3. 3. Mofongo: Puerto Rican mofongo is a fried plantain dish that uses green plantains mashed with garlic, salt, and oil. You can enjoy mofongo, which has a dome-like shape, alongside pork skin, meat, vegetables, and broth.
4. 4. Pasteles: Pasteles are the Puerto Rican and Dominican answer to tamales. This meal consists of a masa—or flour—of grated unripe plantains stuffed with pork, flavored with annatto oil, and wrapped in plantain leaves.
5. 5. Empanada de plátano: Ripe plantains are one of the main ingredients in these turnovers. You can stuff the dough, made of ripe plantains and flour, with cheese and then fry it.

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