Meanwhile, black plantains are completely ripe. The flesh is soft and has an almost caramel-like sweetness that's perfect for dessert. But what does a plantain's ripening timeline look like?

And did you know a plantain plant can produce the starchy fruit for up to 100 years. You can eat it at different stages of ripeness: when it’s green (almost ripe,) when it is yellow (ripe,) or ...