Bananas are one of the most convenient and affordable fruits to buy, but they often turn brown and overly soft than other fruits.
Your fresh bunch of bananas can quickly become spotted and mushy. Here are a few simple adjustments you can try, to extend the freshness of your bananas, so you can enjoy them at their best for longer.
Why Bananas Ripen So Quickly
Bananas ripen fast because they make, and react to ethylene gas. Ethylene gas is a natural plant hormone which acts like a signal, to speed up the ripening of bananas. When ethylene builds up near fruit, the chemical changes make your bananas softer, turn yellow and develop brown spots on them.
The temperature also affects how quickly the ethylene works. Warmer rooms will make your bananas ripen faster, while cooler places slow it down. If you put your bananas in the fridge, it can keep the peel from darkening, while the inside keeps ripening.
When you keep your bananas together, it lets the ethylene concentrate, so a whole bunch of bananas will ripen faster than a single banana will. Storing them near other fruits that give off ethylene (like apples), will also speed up the ripening process.
Any physical damage to the bananas will also speed up the decay. Bruises break the cell walls, and release more ethylene and moisture, leading to faster browning and mold.
Best Place To Store Bananas At Home
Keep your bananas at room temperature, on the counter, unless they are fully ripe.
You can get banana hangers or banana hooks to store your bananas, as hanging reduces the risk of bruises, and improves the air flow.
Store your bananas away from your other fruit, especially apples and avocados. Those fruits both release ethylene gas, as I mentioned above, which will speed up the ripening of your bananas. Putting your bananas in a banana bag, or wrapping the stems in plastic can reduce the ethylene exposure at the stem.
If your bananas are already very ripe, and you want them to keep for longer, move them to the fridge. The peel may darken, but the fruit inside will stay firmer for a few more days.
Simple Trick With Banana Stems
Wrap the stems of your banana bunch with a small piece of plastic wrap, aluminum foil or a rubber band. This cuts down on the ethylene gas that escapes from the stems, slowing the ripening, to keep your bananas fresh for longer.
Do this right after buying them, or when one banana in the bunch is ripening first. Leave each banana in the bunch and cover just the top, where the stems join. This will keep the ethylene from traveling between the fruits, and prevent the whole bunch from going brown.
You can wrap each stem individually if you split the bunch, and it’ll give you more control and keep some bananas at an earlier stage of ripeness.
Keeping Bananas Fresh In Warm Weather
Keep your bananas out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources like ovens or windows that face the sun.
Hang your bananas or place them on a countertop, in a cool and shaded spot. If your kitchen gets hot, move them to a cooler room or an inside pantry to slow down the browning.
For long-term storage, you can freeze your bananas. peel and slice ripe or overripe bananas, and lay the slices on a tray, and freeze them until they’re solid.
Then, transfer the frozen pieces into a sealed bag, and label the bag with the date. You can use frozen bananas for smoothies, baking or snacks, and freezing preserves the flavor, and prevents waste if you can’t eat them before they go bad.