Pickled Green Bananas

(Guineos en Escabeche)

4 Comments

Pickled Green Bananas are boiled green bananas marinated in an acidic sauce.  This dish has a flavorful tart taste that comes from adding herbs, spices and vegetables to the vinegar.   If you are attending a special event or a holiday celebration in Puerto Rico, you will definitely find Pickled Green Bananas among the many food items presented.  It can also be served as an appetizer or as a side dish to accompany your favorite meat or fish.

Let’s Prepare the Green Bananas for Boiling!

Green Bananas

For this recipe, you will need 8 green bananas.  I purchase the green bananas (unripe bananas) at the Latin markets because you will usually not find bananas green enough at the regular supermarket.   They are very firm and starchy.   

In addition, the green bananas are either grated and incorporated as an ingredient in various recipes or boiled.   It is believed that they originated in South Asia.

Do not get them confused with green plantains.  The green plantains are much larger, thicker and starchier than the familiar banana.  They are, however, a member of the banana family.

Green Bananas

With a knife, cut off both ends and make a slit lengthwise from top to bottom barely touching the flesh.   Repeat this process for the remaining green bananas. 

It’s Time to Boil the Green Bananas!

Pour 8 cups of water into saucepan and bring the water to a boil.  When the water starts to boil, add ½ tablespoon of lite salt or to taste and ½ tablespoon of olive oil. 

We can now place the green bananas into the boiling water.  Cover saucepan with lid and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes or until the green bananas are tender.  While the green bananas are boiling, let’s prepare the marinade sauce (Escabeche).

How to Prepare the Traditional Marinade Sauce (Escabeche)!

Escabeche Sauce

Pour 1 cup extra virgin olive oil into saucepan and then, ¼ cup white vinegar and 4 to 6 slices of garlic clove.

Note:  Some individuals prefer to use apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar instead of the white vinegar, which is the traditional method.

Escabeche Sauce

Place 1 to 2 large onions, sliced, cup stuffed olives, 3 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon of lite salt or to taste and 20 whole black peppercorns into saucepan.

Escabeche Sauce

Stir all the ingredients and simmer for 10 to 20 minutes or until the slices of garlic and onion are soft.

After 10 minutes of simmering, let’s give the escabeche sauce one more stir.

Escabeche Sauce

The marinade sauce has been simmering for a total of 15 minutes, the onions and garlic are soft.  The marinade is ready and set aside.

We Can Now Check on the Boiling Green Bananas For Doneness!

Boiled Green Bananas

The green bananas have been boiling for 20 minutes, let’s check if they are tender.  I love to insert my food tester into the green banana to check for doneness.  They are tender but firm.  You don’t want the boiled green bananas to be too soft. 

Boiled Green Bananas

Remove the boiled green bananas from the saucepan and place them in a bowl to cool for a few minutes.  Do you see how the water turns black?

Let’s Prepare the Boiled Green Bananas for the Marinade!

Boiled Green Bananas

When the boiled green bananas are cool enough to handle, you can then remove the peel with your hands.  Repeat this process for the remaining boiled green bananas.

The last step for the boiled green bananas is to cut them into ½ to 1-inch round slices.  

Pickled Green Bananas

Place the round slices of the boiled green bananas into a large bowl so we can later pour the marinade sauce.

Pickled Green Bananas

We can finally pour the marinade over the cooked green bananas.

Pickled Green Bananas

Furthermore, we love to add slices of roasted red bell peppers to add some color to this dish.

Pickled Green Bananas

Stir all the ingredients and make sure the green bananas are coated with the marinade sauce.   Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Remember the longer you allow the cooked green bananas to marinate, the more they will absorb the flavors of the sauce.

Serving Time!

Pickled Green Bananas

Always stir the ingredients one more time before serving.  The Pickled Green Bananas look so delicious.  If you want to serve this dish as an appetizer, then provide toothpicks on the side for your guests.

Pickled Green Bananas

The Pickled Green Bananas (Guineos en Escabeche) can also be served as a side dish to be accompanied with your favorite meat or fish.    In Puerto Rico, we love to eat boiled green bananas with pork meat.   

You can also serve this dish cold or at room temperature. ¡Buen Provecho!

Click on the button below to watch my YouTube video on How to Prepare Pickled Green Bananas (Guineos en Escabeche)!

Recipe and Nutritional Facts!

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only.  Please refer to our Nutritional Facts Disclaimer for more information.

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Pickled Green Bananas (Guineos en Escabeche)


  • Author: Aida's Kitchen®
  • Prep Time: 15 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 Minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 8 Servings 1x

Description

Pickled Green Bananas are boiled green bananas marinated in an acidic sauce.  Great as a side dish or appetizer.


Scale

Ingredients

Marinating Sauce:

  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup white vinegar
  • 4 to 6 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 to 2 large onions, sliced
  • ⅓ cup stuffed olives
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon of lite salt or to taste
  • 20 whole black peppercorns.

Green Bananas

  • 8 Green Bananas
  • 8 cups of water
  • ½ tablespoon of lite salt or to taste
  • ½ tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

Add ¼ cup of roasted red bell peppers (canned and sliced) to add color to this dish.


Instructions

  1. Cut off ends of green bananas and make a slit lengthwise from top to bottom barely touching the flesh.
  2. Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan.  Add salt and olive oil.
  3. Add green bananas and boil for 20 minutes or until tender.
  4. Remove from saucepan and set aside to cool.
  5. Peel boiled green bananas and cut into ½-inch to 1-inch round slices.
  6. Place round slices in large bowl.
  7. In a small saucepan, add all the ingredients for the marinating sauce.  Stir until well blended.
  8. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until slices of garlic and onion are soft, stirring occasionally.
  9. Pour marinade sauce over cooked green bananas.  Add slices of roasted red pepper for color.
  10. Stir all the ingredients until the cooked green bananas are well coated with the marinade.
  11. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
  12. Stir all the ingredients and serve as an appetizer with toothpicks or as a side dish to accompany with your favorite meat or fish.

  • Category: Appetizers
  • Method: Boiling
  • Cuisine: Puerto Rican

Keywords: Pickled Green Bananas

Nutritional Facts Disclaimer

 

 

 

 

Category: Appetizers, Snacks, and Side Dish, Recipes, Root Vegetables and Starchy Fruits, Vegan and Vegetarian

4 Comments. Leave new

  • Can this be made & put into sterilized jars & kept like a relish or pickles?

    Reply
    • Hi Tracy, It would be great but you CAN’T place any food item in sterilized jars without proper sterilization. For canning, all filled sterilized jars with food must be boiled on top of stove or cooked under pressure (correct temperature and time) to prevent botulism. Low-acid foods like bananas, corn, green beans, potatoes, etc. are common sources of botulism when canning. In our culture, we really don’t can so I would recommend to contact a canning food industry for advice.

      Reply
  • Hi Aida. How far in advance can this be made? Could I make it a few day ahead of time? Thank you.

    Reply
    • Hola Camille, Yes, you can prepare this recipe in advance to allow the boiled green bananas to absorb the marinade for a more flavorful dish. However, keep in mind that food items should not be kept in the refrigerator after it has been prepared for more than 5 to 7 days. Once you prepare this dish, you will need to discard it within 5 to 7 days. Maintain in refrigerator until it is time to serve.

      Reply

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