How to Extract Banana Seeds From the Banana
Tip
The popular yellow banana variety know as the Cavendish contains small remnants of undeveloped seeds. These can be seen in the form of tiny black specks in the center of the banana's flesh.
Seedless bananas are grown by cutting the corm or root from a parent plant and replanting it nearby to start a new plant. Each plant only produces one harvest of bananas before it is used to generate new plants for the next season.
Warning
Bananas need to grow under very strict environmental conditions and may not thrive in every garden. Research your particular wild variety and consider mimicking the conditions of its natural environment in a greenhouse or controlled growing area.
Most varieties of bananas sold in the United States contain no seeds within the fruit. Wild banana varieties found in Africa and Asia have dark, hard-angled or rounded seeds embedded into the fruit's flesh. These seeds are harvested to replant and to press them for their oil. Extracting the seeds from these wild bananas is a messy yet simple operation.
Select a wild banana that gives to slight pressure so you know it is fully ripened and the seeds have matured. Ask your grocer about special-ordering these rare bananas or collect them on a trip to Africa or Asia. Check with customs before transporting any whole produce out of the country; they may insist you only take seeds.
- Most varieties of bananas sold in the United States contain no seeds within the fruit.
- Ask your grocer about special-ordering these rare bananas or collect them on a trip to Africa or Asia.
Use a sharp knife to make a shallow incision into the peel of the banana. Try not to actually cut into the flesh, just break the peel for easy opening.
Spread your newly opened slit and remove all the flesh and seeds contained inside. You may want to wear a pair of food-safe plastic gloves to keep the sticky fruit sugars off of your hands.
Squeeze the flesh of the banana with one hand as you pluck out the exposed seeds with the other. Seeds will be oblong and hard and appear dark brown or black with varying size and shape.
Rinse your harvested seeds in warm running water to remove any remaining banana flesh, then place them into a small collection bowl lined with a paper towel to air dry.
- Use a sharp knife to make a shallow incision into the peel of the banana.
- You may want to wear a pair of food-safe plastic gloves to keep the sticky fruit sugars off of your hands.
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Writer Bio
Jeffrey Brian Airman is a writer, musician and food blogger. A 15-year veteran of the restaurant industry, Airman has used his experience to cover food, restaurants, cooking and do-it-yourself projects. Airman also studied nursing at San Diego State University.
