Living Maxwell

Company Stories

Sol Simple Solar Dried Organic Bananas – A Fantastic Product and An Amazing Story

I can’t tell you how gratifying it is to share with you great-tasting organic products that are also making a big difference in the world.

One such product that I recently discovered at Whole Foods Tribeca is Sol Simple Solar Dried Bananas.

Produced in Nicaragua, the organic bananas come in thin spears and are dried indoors using a solar drying technology, which enables Sol Simple to reduce carbon emissions.

According to the company, traditional outdoor drying techniques take 2-3 days, expose the fruit to mold and bacteria, and allow the fruit to oxidize.

Sol Simple’s end product is a sweet-tasting and slightly chewy banana spear.

The benefit of sun-dried bananas, as opposed to the bananas that we get at the stores, is that the fruit is not picked off of the tree as early. This means that it has more time to mature and contains higher level of minerals and vitamins.

Aside from the fact that Sol Simple solar dried bananas are a unique organic product, the story behind the company is very inspirational.

With numerous years of experience in Latin America, Will Burke wanted to start a dried fruit business in Nicaragua that would not only produce healthy snacks but would also benefit impoverished communities in that country.

What is Sol Simple doing now? Among other things, the company:

– Produces a line of organic fruit, nut and coffee products.

– Employs 18 single mothers.

– Sources from 35 different producers whom either have converted to certified organic production or are in transition.

– Works on organic and renewable energy integration development programs in the local area.

– Partners directly with small farmers and helps prepare them for organic inspections.

– Operates the largest solar hybrid dryer in the region.

Two projects in the works include:

(1) designing and funding a bio-digester, a large tank that would dispose of biodegradable waste material and produce methane, which would generate electricity; and

(2) investigating the integration of a vegetable oil converted diesel generator or converted propane/methane generator fueled by Sol Simple’s bio-digester in order to power the company’s processing facility in Nicaragua.

Sol Simple is selling a wonderful organic product and is also making an incredibly meaningful contribution to society.  Awesome job!!

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Sol Simple products are available at select Whole Foods and other retail locations.

The video below is in Spanish but you’ll see how clean the factory is and meet some of the single mothers that work at Sol Simple.