Economical Method for the Production of Flour from Green Plantains

Abstract

An economical method was developed for producing a flour of acceptable quality from green plantains. Five lots weighing 20 pounds each were prepared for dehydration as follows: Peeled by hand and sliced, unpeeled and sliced, unpeeled sliced and treated with 2-percent potassium metabisulfite, and unpeeled sliced and treated with 2-percent citric acid. The results follow: 1. The yield of the flour produced from the plantains which were unpeeled and treated with potassium metabisulfite, 31 to 32 percent, was higher than that produced from the peeled ones, which was 25 to 28 percent. It also showed a trend towards increase in yield compared with the rest of the flours. 2. This flour also possessed better color than the one produced from the unpeeled and untreated plantains, or the flour from plantains treated with citric acid. 3. The flours produced from the treated plantains showed a relatively higher moisture and a trend towards lower total sugars and proteins than the untreated ones. 4. The calories per gram produced from all the flours were almost the same, whereas the bulk density was higher in the flour produced from the steam-peeled plantains than in the rest of the flours which were all about the same. 5. The organoleptic tests established no significant difference between the flavor of soups and "buñuelos" (crullers) prepared from the following flours: Unpeeled not treated, unpeeled but treated with potassium metabisulfite, unpeeled and treated with citric acid, and hand-peeled. However, a significant difference was established in favor of the color of the flour prepared from the unpeeled plantains treated with potassium metabisulfite as compared with flours made from untreated, unpeeled plantains, and from those treated with citric acid.