Effect of Ripening Stages on Basic Deep-Fat Frying Qualities of Plantain Chips

Plantains (Musa paradisiaca L.) are a major food staple in West Africa and are cooked in various forms. The objective of this work was to evaluate the frying characteristics of plantains at different stages of ripening. The plantains used in the study were at the unripe stage through four different ripening stages. The samples were peeled and sliced into 2 mm thickness and blanched in hot water at 70 °C for 3 min. The slices were then deep fried in canola oil at 180 °C. The result showed that ripening stage significantly affected moisture loss and fat absorption profiles of the plantain chips. Fully ripened plantain absorbed up to 34% (db) oil during 4 min frying, much higher than unripe plantain. The oil uptake and moisture loss during frying of the plantain chip samples were modelled using 1st order kinetics. The kinetic parameters including rates of moisture loss and oil uptake varied according to the different stages of ripening. Ripening had a significant effect on the colour lightness (L) of the chips. Similarly, the redness (a), the yellowness (b) and textural characteristics were significantly affected by ripening stage.