In short, if you are wondering how to boil plantains, the answer is easier than it seems. You just chop them in half, make sure you take out both ends, and throw them into the water. As you do, choose your boiling time depending on the type of plantain you’re cooking, and you may also add some salt in this step. After the outer peel becomes dark, you can take them out, take off the outer peel, and enjoy the flesh with some red sauce or butter.As a final piece of advice, remember that each type of plantain is designed for a given use. Green plantains are manageable after cooking, and you can chop them further or serve them. Yellow plantains are very manageable still, and sometimes you can make mashed plantains. They are also sweet and tasty. But ripe plantains are difficult to handle after boiling, and one of the only possibilities you have is making mashed plantains.