Pera ni Juan

Banana chips are tasty and is not messy. You can eat it anywhere. Banana chips can be a good sideline business if you sell it in small packs. Do your costing and add a little margin to it and you're good to go. Here is what you need to do:

Ingredients:

• 5 kg Green matured banana (saba or cavendish)
• 1 kg sugar (refined)
• 1 L water
• 6 L oil

Utensils/Supplies

• knife (stainless)
• stove
• chopping board
• absorbent paper
• banana slicer
• measuring cup
• strainer/ladle
• carajay
• colander
• plastic sealer
• basin/mixing bowl
• thermometer (100 – 250°C)
• weighing scale

Packaging Materiaks : PE/PP bags

Procedure:

1. Prepare 50% sugar solution. Mix 1 kg sugar in 1 L water until it dissolves. You may heat the solution to ease in dissolving and then cool. Set aside.
2. Wash and soak bananas in chlorinated water (100 ppm) for 10 minutes.
3. Peel and slice thinly (0.05 – 1 mm) green, mature bananas. Apply oil to the slicer to ease in slicing.
4. Wash sliced banana chips to prevent sticking during frying.
5. Put slices in wire mesh and fry in cooking oil at high temperature (150°C – 175°C) until light brown or when bubbling ceases (approximately 3 minutes). Remove from cooking oil (first fried).
6. Soak in sugar solution for 2-3 minutes and then drain.
7. Fry again the sweetened slices in cooking oil until golden brown or when bubbling slows.
8. Drain and cool in trays lined with absorbent paper.
9. Separate sticked chips.
10. Pack in large, clean glass bottles, large cans or PE plastic bags.

You can add more flavorings like chocolate banana chips or strawberry banana chips. Honey dip flavor is good too. Improvise if you must. Be more creative and unique. Your product may stand out.

Remember to put a label to your banana chips. Add your contact numbers to your label.

Banana is in demand in other countries, you may consider exporting your product. Or if you have a restaurant, you can add banana chips to your menu as side dish. Either way banana chips can be a lucrative business if you put your mind into it.