Canning of banana

Canning is a method of preserving food by first sealing it in air-tight jars, cans or pouches, and then heating it to a temperature that destroys contaminating microorganisms that can either be of health or spoilage concern because of the danger posed by several spore-forming thermo-resistant microorganisms, such as Clostridium botulinum (the causative agent of botulism).

Banana cannot be canned on their own. The more important canned banana products are puree, baby foods, banana slices, and tropical fruit cocktail. Bananas are also canned as pastes, drinks and slices.

Banana can be canned in slices in syrup. Best quality slices are obtainable from fruit at early fruit at an early stage of ripeness. The slices are process in a syrup of 25° Brix with pH of about 4.2 and in some process calcium chloride (0.2%) or calcium lactate (0.5%) are added as firming agent.

Internally lacquered cans with an acid-resisting lacquer and a high internal tin coating mass is recommend as considerable corrosion has been encountered in plain cans.

When canning banana puree, the puree is filled into 30-lb cans with plastic film bag liners, sealed, and stored (2–4◦C). A process to do away with the acidification step involved extruding ripened, chopped bananas, heating to 121◦C by injecting steam, cooling to 2-3◦ C, filling into fiber containers and blast freezing (-20◦ C).
Canning of banana

Tomato ketchup

Banana ketchup looks just like regular ketchup and is comprised of mashed bananas, tomatoes, sugar, vinegar and spices.

Traditionally banana ketchup is sweet, sour, salty, savoury and doesn’t taste like bananas at all.

The red coloring is added so it looks like tomato ketchup. In Philippines banana ketchup made utilizing banana puree is a popular substitute for tomato ketchup.

It is often used as a dip for fried chicken, hotdogs, and other fried dishes.
Tomato ketchup

The uses of banana puree

The main commercial products made from bananas are canned or frozen puree.

Banana purees use mainly in the production of baby foods. The puree is mixed with other fruit purees to provide various fruit flavor characteristics.

In culinary applications, the use of banana puree is necessary and traditionally, banana puree is frozen. However, banana puree undergoes rapid browning as a result of tissue disruption and exposure to oxygen during peeling and puree obtaining.

Other usage of banana puree included in the manufacturer of, confectionery, bakery products and dairy industry.

The puree also used as ingredient in drinks, processed foods and sauces and as part of special diets in hospitals and nursing homes.
The uses of banana puree

Banana puree

Banana is the highest volume tropical fruit in world trade. The fruit is primarily consumed fresh or as puree for baby food, bakery and confectionery uses.

Banana puree also can be used in muffins, pancakes, pudding desserts or blended drinks. The puree has creamy white to golden yellow color, free from musty or off-flavors.

The major restriction in making banana puree is its tendency to brown rapidly. To avoid browning, for every cup of banana puree, add a quarter teaspoon lemon juice or one tablespoon sour cream.

Commercially, banana puree is obtained by pulping peeled, ripe bananas before preserving it. Most of the world’s banana puree is processed by aseptic canning.

Puree canned in drums by an aseptic canning process, it is good d ingredient for bakery products and ice-creams.

Peeled, ripe fruits are conveyed to a pump that forces them through a plate with 8 mm holes, then on to a homogenizer. Then air is removed using centrifugal deaerator in order to prevent discoloration.

They are immediately submitted to vapor heating up to 75° C rapidly cooled and packed aseptically. With this process, a high quality banana is obtained with minimum color changes for long shelf life when stored at 4° C.
Banana puree

Banana processing

Banana processing
There are many products that can be obtained from banana processing. In addition to dried banana, other important products are: canned banana slices, puree, juice, jams, jellies ands other products such as alcohol.

For canned slices, banana of B2 ripeness are peeled manually, cut into 0.6 cm slices, immersed in water with sulfite for up to 30 minutes, drained, and immediately canned in sucrose or high fructose corn syrup. For better consumer acceptance, pH is controlled with citric acid or ascorbic acid to 4.5 – 5.0 and if the customer requires it, cinnamon is added.

Banana puree is a major banana commodity used in the manufacture of baby foods confectionary, bakery products and dairy industries. Various techniques have been developed for banana puree production. There is a technology where bananas of B4 – B5 ripeness are peeled to the two extreme ends, cut manually, chopped, and blended with a small amount of citric acid and ascorbic acid solution to control polyphenols oxidase activity in the vacuum deaerator. They are immediately submitted to vapor heating up to 75 degree C, rapidly cooled and packed aseptically in sealed bags. With this technology, a high quality banana puree is obtained with minimal color changes for long shelf life when stored at 4 degree C.

For juice, the ripened fruits are peeled, chopped, macerated with enzymes (alpha-amylase and pectinases) and then pasteurized and packed. Banana juice as well as jams and jellies, still has low consumer acceptance but a high possible arises for this use in baby f00ds or alcohol.
Banana processing