Yahoo News Chef reveals how to keep bananas fresh without browning for 14 days if kept in an unlikely spot
Bananas top the chart as one of the bestselling fruits in the UK year after year and it's easy to see why. They are fresh and delicious and can be served as a quick snack or as an accoutrement to many mouth-watering breakfast dishes.
However, storing them can prove nothing less than a nightmare, with many bananas turning quicker than households can get through them. Most would think the best place to keep them is in a fruit bowl, but this can be the the worst place for them.
Knowing where to store then can help extend their freshness by weeks, cutting down on waste and reducing spending during the weekly shop. Most fruits emit ethylene gas, a plant hormone that triggers ripening. When too much fruit is stored together, the concentration of this gas can cause everything to spoil rapidly.
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Bananas produce a high amount of ethylene gas, which is why they often spoil first, as the Express reports. They should not be stored with other ethylene-sensitive fruits like apples, avocados, melons, peaches, and plums.
Rachel Sherwood, a chef and founder of Impressions At Home, suggests that the best place to store ripe bananas is in the fridge, as this slows down the production of ethylene gas. Rachel advised: “The more yellow you see the riper the banana is. Once bananas are ripe place them in the produce drawer of your refrigerator.
“Refrigeration slows the ripening process considerably but does not stop it. The peel will continue to turn brown, but the fruit will stay fresh and firm for one to two weeks.”
There’s a common misconception that bananas shouldn’t be kept in the fridge as the cold turns their peel black. However, while the peel may change colour, the fruit inside remains yellow and soft, making it perfectly edible for a longer period.
Only store yellow bananas in the fridge as green bananas won’t ripen properly at cold temperatures, leading to a loss of flavour. Rachel pointed out: “Green bananas are not quite ripe and will keep the longest and ripen slowly at room temperature on the counter.
“To speed the process, place them in a brown paper bag, add an apple or tomato to the bag to speed the process even further.” If you have a banana on your countertop that is just beginning to turn brown then it can still be placed in the fridge, but can also be frozen or used to make banana bread.
However, completely brown bananas should not be placed in the fridge as they will cause the peel to become mushy, making them unappealing to eat. Rachel added: “If the banana has more brown or black than yellow on the peel then it is overripe and can still perfectly be used in baking applications.”
The best way to store bananas is to first keep them at room temperature on the kitchen counter away from a fruit bowl when they’re green, then place them in the fridge once they turn yellow to keep them fresh for two weeks longer. However, completely brown bananas should not be placed in the fridge as they will cause the peel to become mushy, making them unappealing to eat.
Rachel added: “If the banana has more brown or black than yellow on the peel then it is overripe and can still perfectly be used in baking applications.” The best way to store bananas is to first keep them at room temperature on the kitchen counter away from a fruit bowl when they’re green, then place them in the fridge once they turn yellow to keep them fresh for two weeks longer.
