How to Peel Plantains
A step-by-step demonstration on how to peel plantains, quickly and easily.
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time0 minutes mins
Total Time5 minutes mins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: caribbean
Servings: 2 plantains
Cost: $1
- 1 green plantain
- 1 ripe, yellow plantain
Green Plantains
Cut the ends of the plantains and very carefully run your knife through the peel lengthwise, without cutting into the flesh. Then, run the knife around the end's edge, about 1 inch, also without cutting into the flesh. Go lengthwise again in the other direction.
Use your fingers to separate and detach the peel from the plantain. Repeat the steps to remove the rest of the skin.
Plantains are ready to be cooked. Cut into 1-inch rounds to make tostones or thinly to make plantain chips.
Yellow Plantains
Cut the ends of the plantain, run your knife lengthwise through the skin of the plantain without cutting into the flesh, and finally, use your hands to pull the skin off.
- Ripe plantains are a lot easier to peel. After cut into, the skin will come off easily as a banana peel would.
- Ripe plantains are mostly yellow with some black and are slightly firm to the touch. The more black the skin is, the more ripe the plantain.
- If a plantain is unripe it will have green skin. You can still cook them but they will be more starchy and bland in flavor.
- Plantains must always be cooked and not eaten raw.