I thought organic meant better!?

February 7, 2008 6:34 PM

Are organic bananas more "stringy" than regular bananas?

Know what I mean when I say "stringy"? After you peel the banana, sometimes there are long pieces of stuff that still stick to the surface of the fruit, and you peel it away in little strings.

I bought some organic bananas for the first time, and they seem really stringy compared to the bananas I usually buy. Is that an actual thing, or did I just happen to get stringy bananas?

In case it matters: These were Dole bananas, grown in Peru, purchased at Whole Foods.

posted by mccxxiii to food & drink (23 comments total)

I got some organic bananas recently. I don't know about stringy but the taste was totally different. Usually I'm really into the taste difference with organics (cauliflower was a revelation), but I have to say I was not so excited about the organic bananas. It's hard to trust the name "dole organic" too...
posted by sully75 at 6:36 PM on February 7, 2008

Having purchased both kinds at the 14th&P Whole Foods in DC, I can say that the organic ones are smaller, seemingly more fibrous, and didn't taste all that great.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 6:44 PM on February 7, 2008

Tangent: If you peel the bananas starting at the opposite end than is usual (that is, don't start from the stem end and pull down but start at the other end) then the strings will stick to the peel and won't be a problem.
posted by winston at 7:05 PM on February 7, 2008 [6 favorites]

No extra stringiness in the bananas I get. They're from Organics Unlimited and grown in either Mexico or Ecuador. They're a little smaller than other bananas, but they taste better.
posted by lunaazul at 7:17 PM on February 7, 2008

IME they're not stringier, but are smaller and sweeter. May depend on individual variation - level of ripeness etc. (I have gotten some duds too)
posted by LobsterMitten at 7:29 PM on February 7, 2008

I've thought that the organic bananas I've had definitely tasted better, and were a little more stringy -- the strings seemed more separate from the main banana, though, which leads me to think that the "other kind" just has the "strings" more integrated with the main banana, so I'm eating them and don't notice as much. Or maybe I'm deluding myself.
posted by amtho at 7:40 PM on February 7, 2008

I notice differences in stringiness, starchiness, sweetness, etc., in bananas all the time. I sometimes buy organic and sometimes conventional, depending which is more ripe.

I'd say the quality of both varies, and I eat at least one banana a day. I love them.

This reminds me of something I thought of the other day. There's all kinds of varieties of apples, oranges, grapefruit, peaches, etc. But all that's ever for sale is 'bananas.' Wonder why there's no niche marketing of them, except organic/conventional?
posted by jeff-o-matic at 7:49 PM on February 7, 2008

Jeff-o-matic: my understanding is that the type of banana commonly sold at supermarkets, the Cavendish, is basically the best for grocery stores because it can be picked extremely early and will still ripen properly, and holds up well during long-distance transport. Unfortunately, there's a fungus attacking these bananas, and it's possible their days are numbered.
posted by Bella Sebastian at 8:22 PM on February 7, 2008 [1 favorite]

There are hundreds of varieties of bananas. The standard banana you usually buy is called a Cavendish . Within that variety, there is a wide range of hybrid strains that are grown in attempt to suit the soil of a given farm. They all look very similar on the outside, organically grown or otherwise. What makes it to your grocer (Whole Foods or Safeway), is what was stable enough that season to grow in that soil. Now, usually I find organic bananas taste better than Dole or Chiquita and not any stringier. In your case, it might've been more fibrous because the grower used a strain that was closer to a "natural" banana, which are very dense.
posted by Burhanistan at 8:26 PM on February 7, 2008

Organic does not = better, necessarily. Organic may not even = organic. In theory, "organic" means that no pesticides or fertilizers were used in the growing of said banana, and that the banana was not the banana version of a test tube baby.

In the US, "organic" is only a marketing term. The only way you can know for sure that you bought any item that is 100% organic is if it says "USDA Certified Organic" somewhere on the label. All that guarantees is no pesticide. There are no guarantees on quality or taste.

I personally have a theory that this whole marketing of "organic = tastes better" is a long con to ensure that carob continues to sell, since after you buy into it for being "healthy" you don't want to admit it tastes like human byproduct.
posted by medea42 at 8:42 PM on February 7, 2008 [1 favorite]

Last year I had an organic banana which came apart into three parallel sections when I peeled it, and had dozens of hard black seeds about half the diameter of BBs. I kept the seeds for a while thinking I'd try to germinate them, but I never did.
posted by jamjam at 8:46 PM on February 7, 2008

medea42: USDA certification doesn't mean much. I'd much rather trust a certification body such as Quality Assurance International, who don't have diluted standards.

On the subject of bananas, I've had both good and bad from all different brands and organic and not. I think it depends on ripeness and how ripe they were picked.

The tastiest banana I've ever eaten was organic. I don't remember the brand, sadly, but I got it at Whole Foods.
posted by qvtqht at 8:52 PM on February 7, 2008

I thought one of the differences between organic and conventional was the process used to get them to ripen. Aren't conventional bananas exposed to a gas while organics are not? I remember reading this but have no citation.

Sometimes organic bananas appear to go fom green to brown without ever turning yellow.
posted by Xurando at 9:03 PM on February 7, 2008

As mentioned already, I think the texture's a bit different due to the chemical treatments that conventional bananas go through. I find that the peel is sturdier and the strings bit harder to get off. I'm used to it at this point after years of buying them.

That said, I often don't notice flavor/texture/quality differences between organic and conventional produce when all else is equal. I find that fresh and local trumps all else in terms of flavor. Organic is usually "better" in the sense that it is more sustainable, has less of an environmental footprint, is less toxic for agricultural workers, and should introduce fewer unwelcome things like pesticide residues into your body. It may or may not lead to a "better" product in terms of taste and texture.

The whole "organic tastes better" thing baffles me. I have friend who swear it's true.

The only way you can know for sure that you bought any item that is 100% organic is if it says "USDA Certified Organic"

There are a few other certification labels in the US that have been around since before USDA started certifying. Oregon Tilth is one I still see a lot.
posted by Tehanu at 9:35 PM on February 7, 2008

That is to say, the organic bananas have sturdier peels and I'm used to the strings.

Also I have more than one friend. I swear.
posted by Tehanu at 9:38 PM on February 7, 2008

Wonder why there's no niche marketing of them, except organic/conventional?

Mefi's own soulbarn has written a book about this.
posted by cybercoitus interruptus at 9:39 PM on February 7, 2008

Aren't conventional bananas exposed to a gas while organics are not?

I know this is not quite on-topic, but how can I not link to: SmartAir Offers In-Transit Banana Ripening.
posted by smackfu at 9:43 PM on February 7, 2008

Interestingly, both my local chain supermarket and Trader Joe's have been carrying the same brand of organic banana. They do seem a little smaller than the Dole monsters I used to buy, but they taste the same to me and seem no more or less stringy than any other kind of banana I've had.
posted by pinky at 9:54 PM on February 7, 2008

My local organic store carries Bonita from Ecuador, and I've noticed that they are a bit more stringy, but I always find them to be sweeter than conventional bananas when they ripen, and a bit softer. I like them better.

I appreciated the quality of organics recently when my sister made a vegetable platter for a family get together with conventionally grown produce bought in the grocery store, and the veggies had very little flavor, but they were colorful and looked good. In contrast, sometimes organic produce will be uneven in quality and suffer when out of season, but I do notice it tastes better, at least if the supply is from good growers. I buy local whenever possible, but agriculture is fairly limited here.
posted by krinklyfig at 11:45 PM on February 7, 2008

I think this is to organic bananas being a totally diffrent kind of banana. The Cavendish that is the normal type is almost impossible to grow without pesticides. To grow a banana that is more resistant other desired properties had to go.

I should add that making new types of bananas is really hard since the fruit is almost sterile. I'll remember reading somewhere that only 0.1 % of all seeds are able to grow.
posted by ilike at 1:53 AM on February 8, 2008

I don't think I've had organic bananas, but I think I've seen this happen with regular bananas, and the stringiness is related to how ripe the banana is. about a day before little black dots form on the skin, you'll see stringiness. the next day, another banana from the same bunch will peel cleanly.
posted by jrishel at 4:36 AM on February 8, 2008

medea42: Using the word organic requires USDA certification. Using "organic" on labels without certification means massive fines.

qvtqht: QAI is one of dozens of certifying agents accredited by the USDA. They certify to the same national standard as everyone else.
posted by Ictus at 5:38 AM on February 8, 2008

I lived on a banana farm once. The stringiness is determined by the type of banana not the organicness (there are indeed some bananas that are called "stringy bananas" because of how stringy they are) and there are a LOT of types of bananas that are grown out there; very few are suitable for commercial shipping and storage. It's like apples -- many grocery stores will sell only granny smiths, red delicious, and one or two others, but in fact there are hundreds of varieties that differ in taste, texture, and appearance, and the apples in the "organic" section may or may not be different varieties than the regular apples.
posted by Forktine at 6:19 AM on February 8, 2008