Banana Flour Making

Banana fruit is a horticultural commodity that can be processed and preserved to expand its marketing value. Various processed banana products have already been developed, such as, sun-dried banana and banana crispy. A new product with a potential commercial value is the banana flour made from fresh and ripe banana.

Processing of Banana Flour

Materials
* Unripe but old banana var. Kepok; ripe and old for other varieties.

Equipments
* Knife
* Plastic pail
* Slicer
* Plastic dryer rack

Processing Method

* Remove banana fruits from the bunch.
* Steam for about 10 minutes to decrease sticky sap, improve the flour color, and facilitate the peeling process.
* Peel and then slice into small pieces.
* Soak in 5% citric acid for about 30 minutes, then drain.
* Sun-dry on the plastic rack, until 10% moisture content is achieved.
* Mill and sift.
* Package and store in a closed, dry place.

Benefits of Banana Flour

Banana flour can be used as a mixture material for various cakes/breads (wet and dry cakes), and for infant feeding. Banana flour contains low gluten, so it could not be used as the main cake material. Therefore, to produce high quality cake, banana flour must be mixed with wheat flour.

According to a study in the Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists, supplementing pasta with unripe banana flour may be a healthy addition since banana flour contains antioxidants and fiber.

Cooperating agency for this topic:
South Kalimantan Assessment Institute for Agricultural Technology

Source: FFTC agnet.org, ift.org
Photo: sciencedaily.com

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