Ask LH: Why Do Some Bananas Have Red Tips on Them?

Have you ever stepped into a supermarket, seen those bananas with the red tips and wondered, “What does that mean?”

The sight of these bananas sparks a bunch (lol) of questions about whether the red tips represent a different type of banana, different taste or even a different farming technique. Well, now’s the time to put all these questions to bed because we’re here to tell you exactly why those bananas have red tips and what that means.

First thing’s first. You are not alone if you have no idea why some bananas have red tips and others don’t. According to News.com.au, only 4 per cent of Aussie shoppers know what the bright red tips mean, despite 85 per cent knowing they exist.

In a nutshell: none of us know what the red tips are for; we just see them and stay intrigued without ever looking further into it.

But that changes today!

Why do some bananas have red tips?

Turns out that the red-tipped bananas are a way to signal to shoppers that they were grown using ecoganic farming methods.

Aussie grower Frank Sciacca told Yahoo! News that an easy way to alert shoppers that these bananas have been grown differently is to dip them in red food-grade wax.

Sciacca also said that this caused people to ask why the bananas have red tips which would then lead them to learn about ecoganic farming.

I think we can safely agree that the wax really does make the bananas stand out more than a simple sticker. I mean, here we are talking about them, after all.

According to Perfection, their ecoganically grown red-tipped bananas taste how bananas should – sweet and creamy. They also claim that these bananas are easily sliced due to their firm and fleshy nature.

How delightful.

What’s ecoganic farming?

Now we know why the bananas have red tips but what’s ecoganic farming all about?

Ecoganic farming is essentially an ecological production and management system that eliminates the use of harsh chemicals and pesticides that can have potentially harmful impacts on the environment and waterways.

According to Sciacca and Perfection, the ecoganic method works with nature to grow sustainable and delicious bananas, while helping repair the damage done by conventional farming methods.

As we already know, using red tips is a sustainable way to differentiate the conventionally grown bananas from the ecoganic ones, so shoppers can be part of a more environmentally conscious farming movement.

So there you have it, folks, the real reason why bananas have red tips.

Next time you go into the supermarket, you’ll know exactly why they have them and how they were grown.

Got mushy bananas? Try making these recipes that aren’t just banana bread.