COOKING QUALITIES AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHANGES DURING RIPENING IN SOME BANANA AND PLANTAIN HYBRIDS AND CULTIVARS

Cooking qualities of mature green fruits of some banana and plantain hybrids and cultivars grown in Njombe (Cameroon) were assessed as well as physicochemical changes in fruits at various stages of ripeness under ambient conditions (30°C and 80%RH). The following hybrids and cultivars were examined: CRBP 001, CRBP 015 and IRFA 904 (plantain hybrids, AAAB), FHIA 01 (banana hybrid, AAAA), Yangambi km5 and Grande Naine (banana cultivars, AAA), and French Clair (plantain cultivar, AAB). During cooking or boiling of fruits, there was a decline in firmness (hardness) and an increase in water absorption of the pulp, and plantain cultivars and hybrids absorbed more water than banana hybrids and cultivars.
The cooking qualities and time varied depending upon the banana and plantain hybrids and cultivars.
At harvest, the pulp dry matter content of plantain cultivar French Clair was highest (41.1%) compared to plantain hybrids (32.6 and 36.7%), banana cultivars (26.9 and 27.3%) and banana hybrid (25.3%), and did not significantly change during ripening.
The dry matter content of fruit peel, the pulp to peel ratio and the ºBrix of the pulp significantly increased from stage 1 (mature green fruit) to stage 7 of ripeness (fully yellow with black spots), whereas pulp hardness or firmness significantly decreased.
Their fruits reached stage 7 of ripeness after 8 to 14 days under ambient conditions (30°C and 80%RH) and at this stage, the rate of weight loss of fruits of French Clair and IRFA 904 was highest (22.8 and 25.0% respectively) compared to other hybrids and cultivars (10.7 to 14.6%).

II International Symposium on Banana: I International Symposium on Banana in the Subtropics

J.A. Ngalani, J. Tchango Tchango

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1998.490.61