Using overripe and nearly rotten plantain for kaaklo

That's over ripped plantains and if there's one dish we mostly use this for in Ghana it's kaaklo

When I was younger, my aunt would make kaaklo most weekends and the smell of the kaaklo would travel through the entire compound and wake everyone up. One thing my aunt would always do was keep a bunch of overripe plantain in a basket by the window in the kitchen for several days until the skins had turned a solid black and were soft. I once asked her if it was still okay to use these plantains and she just laughed and said, no, it is actually sweeter.

Since I saw someone on Twitter arguing that frying with rotten plantains could lead to cancer, I began thinking about my aunt and the overripe plantains that she used. I do not know whether this is true or just a way for people to seem knowledgeable on the topic.

If I understand correctly, the concern around using rotten plantains to fry is based on the potential for mold development when plantain sits for too long and begins to rot, as opposed to ripening. Mold produces a substance called mycotoxins, which according to some studies, may be related to liver failure and cancer when eaten on a regular basis. I am unsure how much rotten plantain would need to be consumed before it could cause problems.

But the overwhelming majority of people are not eating rotten plantain when they use overripe plantains. An overripe plantain is different from rotten. If an overripe plantain smells sour or has visible mold, you should not eat it. So with this, I believe that we are all fine if we are not eating complete rotting plantains.

Sometimes I do make kaaklo, but not nearly as usual as I used to.

This is how kaaklo is made by the way