Bananas are the work horse of the fruit world...It is one of the top two fruits eaten out of hand in the world. There are two principle varieties, Cavendish, and Valery. It comes shipped as Grades No. 1 and No. 2. Bananas should be stored between 56 and 60 degrees F at 85% RH, and when ripened at 56 to 65 degrees F. Bananas should never be stored next to other fruits such as apples, or vegetables such as lettuce, as they give off large quantities of ethylene gas. Boxes of bananas are available at 40 lbs. with a count of 150. The average box count of No.1 bananas are 115.

One medium banana equals one cup of sliced banana. Bananas are easily damaged by improper storage...do not chill bananas as this will cause the skin to turn gray and the fruit to turn brown and mushy.

Here is a great color guide to ripening bananas:
http://www.turbana.com/banripe.htm

Want to know the history of the Banana? Here is the place to travel to:
http://www.turbana.com/banahist.htm

Here is a great list of banana recipes from the folks at Turbana:
http://www.turbana.com/recipes.htm

Want to go to the Banana Museum? follow this link.
http://www.geocities.com/NapaValley/1799/