Unlike other fruit, bananas refuse to be refrigerated and will turn black as soon as they come into contact with cold;

Hang bananas from a hook;

If you wish to speed up their ripening, place them in a brown paper bag;

To freeze, remove the skin; freeze whole or purée, depending on how you will use them; sprinkle with warm lemon juice as soon as you remove them from the freezer to prevent oxidation;

If you’re using freshly harvested bananas you will encounter a sort of sap, so we recommend wearing gloves or coating your hands with a bit of vegetable oil to form a protective barrier. That sap can also leave a stain on your clothing, so don’t allow it to make contact.

Trim off the stems on both sides,

Then cut along each ridge (from top to bottom), and peel away each section of the banana. Some cooks prefer to make one cut and boil the green banana in its skin. The skin will then come off virtually in one piece.

Cooking bananas are served with fish, poultry and meat. They can also be mashed or made into gratins.

Place the bananas in a saucepan; cover completely with water and add a pinch of salt. If you have some bay rum leaves, add one to flavor the cooking water.

Bring to a boil. Cook at a rolling boil for about 25 minutes. Pierce to check for doneness. Drain. Don't worry about the gray color: it's completely natural. 

Green bananas are used in many traditional dishes such as bébélé marie-galantais, a meat and vegetable stew.

In Martinique, Guadeloupe and St. Lucia, the bananas are cooked with a piece of salt cod (in which case you don't need to salt the water. Drain and serve with a vinaigrette as a salad. 

Gratin - Cook the green bananas in boiling water. Mash with a lump of butter. Add some onion, garlic and green onions sautéed in a skillet with a little oil and nutmeg. Cover with Gruyere and bake in the oven until browned.

Creamed - In a little oil, sauté a creole bouquet garni (local onion, thyme and parlsey), 1 minced onion and 1 crushed clove garlic. Add 6 green fig bananas and a bay rum leaf and stir. Add 500 ml chicken stock; cover and simmer for 20 minutes over medium heat. Remove the bay rum leaf. Add 200 ml coconut milk. Purée with an immersion blender. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.