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AIBU?

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Original poster

Can’t get a yellow banana for love nor money

26 replies

Iftheydonlygetashifton · 14/12/2023 22:41

This seems to have first crept up in 2023. Almost all the bunches of bananas in the supermarkets are mainly green, not mainly yellow. I first noticed this in summer this year with online deliveries from Sainsbury’s. Every bunch was inedibly green. They would ripen eventually, but if I wanted an immediately edible one I’d need to go to M&S. Then the weather changed, and concurrently M&S bananas became greener too. Now, in December, even Waitrose bananas are green, with not a hope of ripening.

This isn’t a metaphor - it’s genuinely about the bananas. Has something changed this year? Are they trying to wean us off year-round bananas? (Which might be sensible.) It’s not been a feature of previous years.

aibu - they’ve always been green / I see yellow where you see green

ianbu - yes for some reason this year they’ve all become green and inedible in the shops. Even, this is the beginning of the decline of the banana as an accessible foodstuff in the UK.

OP posts:
SurelySmartie · 14/12/2023 22:43

I prefer them slightly green they’re not too sweet then and have a better ‘bite’ to them.

MyLadyTheKingsMother · 14/12/2023 22:43

I recon they are picking them earlier to try to account for delays in travel.

And when they ripen they don't ripen nicely either. I've stopped buying them.

PamelaParis · 14/12/2023 22:46

Try the Co-op. The ones I got today are yellow/brown.

Talipesmum · 14/12/2023 22:46

I’m not seeing that round here - they seem to arrive yellowish on the Sainsburys delivery?

LuvMyBoyz · 14/12/2023 22:48

I’ve rarely had this problem. Usually a lot of range for choice.

eandz13 · 14/12/2023 22:57

I've noticed this recently and it's pissing me off too! Grin
I like my bananas yellow, just starting to brown. The ones I'm finding and buying are green for days!!

yossell · 14/12/2023 22:59

I completely agree. It's been driving me crazy. I love well ripened bananas - LOVE THEM - and now they've been snatched away from my life. Don't tell me to buy the green ones and wait they don't ripen properly, remain stiff and tasteless and ugly and - oh! - for those yellow bananas

AboutYouTalk · 14/12/2023 22:59

I always buy green/yellow bananas as they ripen too quickly.

OldTinHat · 14/12/2023 23:06

I've got three you can have!

Wendyspotatopeeler · 14/12/2023 23:06

I love green and yellow bananas. Once the first brown spot arrives, not a chance.

RampantIvy · 14/12/2023 23:07

SurelySmartie · 14/12/2023 22:43

I prefer them slightly green they’re not too sweet then and have a better ‘bite’ to them.

Same

ChardonnaysBeastlyCat · 14/12/2023 23:11

I don’t like bananas anymore.

They taste nothing like they used to.

Original poster
Iftheydonlygetashifton · 14/12/2023 23:13

Kerning · 14/12/2023 23:05

Apparently there's a banana fungus destroying crops, I wonder if that's got anything to do with it?

https://www.bbc.com/future/bespoke/follow-the-food/the-pandemic-threatening-bananas.html

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

OP posts:
Lastarse · 14/12/2023 23:17

Lidl still have yellow bananas !

ToThineOwnSelf · 14/12/2023 23:21

Reminds me of my grandma who’d offer us ‘a nice crispy banana’ 😂

I prefer mine covered in brown spots and mashed onto buttered toast 😋

TimeFlysWhenYoureHavingRum · 14/12/2023 23:23

Supply chains are still all over the place due to Brexit. Also the restriction of global banana production to a single variety almost across the board leaves them more vulnerable to disease and climate change so making supply even less predictable.

wideawakeinthemiddleofthenightagain · 14/12/2023 23:26

We're a green banana family and are finding the opposite is true. It's really hard to find any green bananas at the moment. They're all yellow and get brown spots the day after purchase. I seem to be buying bananas almost daily in an attempt to deal with this as you just can't buy them and expect them to last more than 24 hours

nocoolnamesleft · 14/12/2023 23:28

I'm eating the ones I bought last week, that are now yellow, and have a bunch of green ones gradually changing colour for next week.

Thesearmsofmine · 14/12/2023 23:29

I’ve noticed this too, I’ve had some that just never ripened and nobody in my house will eat them green.

FairisleFairy · 14/12/2023 23:31

Slightly green bananas are better for you!
though I agree absolutely no use for making pancakes or loaf cake

CranfordScones · 14/12/2023 23:34

The supermarkets are passing on food waste to customers (getting rid of sell by dates) so it wouldn't surprise me if they're also ordering their bananas in a greener condition for similar reasons. It's winter, and all things are affected by seasons - there's also a disease issue (posted upthread). There aren't that many banana importers and one has recently closed a big depot in northern England - not sure if that's affected supply. Bananas are picked and shipped very green and they're put in gas chambers at the suppliers to condition them so it's a more controlled process than other fruits. Nothing to do with Brexit.

SequentialAnalyst · 14/12/2023 23:37

I don't like bananas any more (when I did, they had to be ripe and mashed up with cream). But coincidentally today I found myself staring in disbelief at the bananas in my Sainsbury's Local, which were all very small and very very green. And then I came across this thread...

mottytotty · 14/12/2023 23:52

I agree, bananas have changed out of all recognition in the past 10 years.

I have pictures of glowing yellow bananas from then.

Ibizafun · 15/12/2023 00:16

I've noticed this too.. who wants green bananas?