Dole Cavendish bananas

Regular bananas that everyone loves.

The most widely cultivated variety of ready-to-eat bananas in the world, the Cavendish banana was named after William Cavendish, the 6th Duke of Devonshire. He had a keen interest in horticulture and acquired a banana specimen in the early 1800s, which he grew in his extensive conservatories. Nutritious and convenient, bananas are available all year.

How to select

Research indicates that just two bananas, with their potent mixture of three natural sugars and fibre, can provide enough energy to keep you exercising for up to 90 minutes. Learn more

Choose bananas according to the peel color and ripeness desired. Select full-yellow bananas for salads or immediate eating. Use fully ripe bananas, with speckles on the peel for baking, smoothies, or recipes that specify mashed bananas.

How to store

Store bananas at room temperature. The warmer it is, the faster the bananas will ripen. To ripen a banana quickly, place in a paper bag with an apple or a kiwifruit. To slow ripening, refrigerate (the peel will turn black but the fruit inside will be fresh and ripe). Bananas can be frozen once the banana is peeled, and stored in a freezer bag until ready to use (use a bit of fresh lemon juice to reduce browning), and while we are talking 'freezing', have a look at our frozen banana recipe.

How to use

One of the most convenient foods, bananas come in their own biodegradable wrapping! You can eat a banana anywhere, anytime; it is so easy to carry in your bag, back pack or briefcase. Just peel and eat, or if using bananas in salads, toss them in pineapple or lemon juice before adding to prevent pieces from browning. Bananas are great on their own, but they are also a must for any fruit smoothie combination which they thicken and sweeten. Bananas are also fabulous in baking, so check out our banana recipe page.