Influence of the stage of ripeness of plantains and some cooking bananas on the sensory and physicochemical characteristics of processed products

The influence of the stage of ripening of the fruit of cultivars of plantain (French Sombre) and some cooking bananas (Dwarf Kalapua and Bluggoe) on the sensory and physico-chemical characteristics of processed products was evaluated. Chips made from these cultivars at corresponding stages of ripeness had water contents less than 20 g kg^-1 for fruits at stages 1 and 3 and less than 60 g kg^-1 for those at stages 4 and 5. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) between the ash contents of chips at different stages of ripeness for all the cultivars. Protein contents increased with increasing ripeness for all the cultivars; the fat contents decreased with increasing ripeness and varied from one cultivar to another. The available food energy was more than 4840 kcal kg^-1 of chips for all the cultivars at all stages of ripeness. The best chips were obtained from fruits at stages 1 and 3. Flours obtained from the fruits of these cultivars at different stages of ripeness had water contents lower than 60 g kg^-1. The fat, ash and protein contents were low, while the carbohydrate contents were high. For all the cultivars the yields of chips and flour were higher for the plantain cultivar (French Sombre) than for the cooking banana cultivars, irrespective of the stage of ripeness of the fruits. Cakes made from the different flours had good nutritional quality. The cakes and chips submitted for sensory evaluation were all accepted by consumers, although to differing extents. Fruits at stages 1 and 3 of ripeness which presented fewer problems during drying were the most suitable for the manufacture of flour for making cakes.