When is a green plantain not a green plantain? When it's yellow.

Let's review:
1) Plantains are a stable in most Latin American countries.
2) Plantains are considered fruit but treated like a vegetable.
3) Green plantains are not easy to peel, just takes patience to master the technique and
4) I will never tire of saying: if your supermarket does not carry plantains, just ask.

OK, on with the show!

Yummy to say the least, plantains can be prepared as tostones when they are green, and as maduros when they start turning yellow. Maduro is actually the Spanish word for ripe. I guess the easiest way to explain: Green plantains equals savory; Yellow plantains equals sweet.

Another big difference: Green plantains are fried twice, and in between the first and second fry they need to be smashed for chips--tostones, or molded for cups--tostones rellenos. The kitchen gadget that does the molding is called a tostonera. I use: Tostobueno, the Ultimate Tostonera. I'd be lost without mine, and it's a green product.

Yellow plantains are fried only once, and no molding involved, just the initial cut, and fry.

There are dishes that can be prepared when they turn black; that we will not cover today.

Ah, one more toston insight. As toston chips "tostones" or "maduros", they are served along side just about every Latino dish imaginable. They make for great appetizers as toston cups or a complete meal, even. And let's not forget dessert. Some apple pie filling with ice cream on a bed of chocolate, and you are good to go!

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Step 1 This is a green plantain

When it is green, the plantain is at its least ripeness.

Comments

[nehmah]

We live in Tennessee and have a significant Hispanic population. However, finding spices for Puerto Rican cooking means a trip to Food Lion, here in Spring Hill, TN. I will also check to see if the Publix and Walmart stores carry plantain of any color. Cordially, nehmah

[LinuxH4x0r]

Cool! I'd love to try plantains, but I used to live in Minnesota where it is extremely hard to find them. I could probably find some here in Santa Fe. Great job!

[feebee buffaye]

Thanks. And let me know your supermarket. I am starting a campaign to get supermarkets to carry them. I'm serioius. There is no reason for stores not to keep up with the food times. :-)

[LinuxH4x0r]

Most of the ones in the Minneapolis/St.Paul region don't have them. There just isn't any demand

[fishhead455]

FLATULATIONS: To peel the green Platanos (Plantains) you can slice longitudinally along a side seam then pull the skin off sideways. Seems complicated until you do it a few times. Maduros: YUM-YUM...candy...gimmie gimmie. High in Potassium ,the Plantains keep mosquitoes at bay. This ible made me hungry.

[feebee buffaye]

Thanks for giving people a vote of confidence on the green plantain peel. And your are perfectly correct . . . it just takes practice. Check out my other Instructable, and let me know what you think. Search: tostones or green plantain and look for my pic!