CHARLOTTE, NC – It's the height of plantain season and Dole is encouraging consumers to use the fruit that cooks and eats like a vegetable in new recipes this fall. Members of the banana family, plantains are starchier and lower in sugar, making them an easy recipe replacement for recipe staples like potatoes.   

“Plantains are popular right now, and not only among banana fans, as a way to spice up mealtime routines and school lunches – especially since many of these lunches are still being eaten at home because of the coronavirus,” said Bil Goldfield, Dole’s director of corporate communications. “What’s remarkable about them is that they can be used at every stage of ripeness: boiled like a potato when green; prepared in sauces and soups, air-fried or roasted as snacks when yellow; or baked in desserts and sweet recipes when black or spotted.” 

Dole is actively promoting plantains for use in recipes such as Plantain Crusted Salmon Fillets; Slow Cooker Sweet Potato, Plantain and Lentil Caribbean Curry; Plantain and Tomato Salad with Dole’s Sweet and Spicy Plantain Soup; Pumpkin Spice Plantain Chips & Curry-Apple Dip; and more.