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Bananna bunches are harvested when they are 70% to 80% ripen. Rest of the ripening process happen on ground. As per my personal experience, untreated banana takes little more than a week to become fully ripen. Till then, they remain shriveled and green. This is natural method. Ideal and healthy.
What market follows?
8 days, 9 days, 10 days – these are too long durations to wait for our generations of vendors. They cannot wait so long. To meet the regular domestic requirement, green banana bunches are artificially ripened.
Smoke treatment is one of the most common methods adopted to induce ripening. In this method, banana bunches are exposed to smoke generated by burning kerosene stove inside the airtight chambers for 24 h. As a result, we get artificially ripen yellow bananas, treated with carbon monoxide.
Another method is that bananas are artificially ripened in local markets by the use of banned chemical calcium carbide.
Both are ugly and hazardous methods. So don’t expect banana benefits when you have no choice but artificially ripen bananas.
Buy half ripen bunches and let them get ripen naturally at home. Or else, face the consequences of Carbon monoxide and calcium carbide.
