You shouldn't store bananas in fruit bowl – here's what to do instead

How you store bananas can affect how long they last before going bad (file)
-Credit: (Image: Getty Images)


A mum has shared a surprising revelation about the incorrect way to store bananas, urging others to heed her advice.

Bananas are a common household staple, often sliced onto breakfast cereal or used as a quick snack. Not only do they contribute to one of your five-a-day and are packed with vitamins, but they also serve as an excellent pick-me-up, aiding digestion and boosting energy levels. Moreover, their high potassium content is crucial for maintaining heart health.

However, anyone who regularly purchases bananas knows they spoil quickly, becoming squishy and black even before their sell-by date, largely due to the ethylene gas they emit, which accelerates ripening and decay. For many, the fruit bowl seems like the perfect storage solution, but in reality, it might be the worst possible place to keep bananas if you want them to last.

An Australian mum and TikTok user, known as Vonnie, or @vonnie_m, typically shares food and lifestyle hacks with her followers. But in a recent video, she labelled herself an "idiot" for overlooking an important detail regarding her fruit bowl.

She explained how she had bought a silver metal fruit bowl that came with a unique feature – a hanger on top – which left her puzzled at its use until now. In disbelief, she stated: "Am I the only idiot that didn't know this about these kind of fruit bowls? I really had no idea."

Vonnie had a lightbulb moment when she discovered that the hanger on her fruit bowl was designed to keep bananas separate from other fruits, thus preventing them from causing other fruits to spoil too quickly. She shared her newfound knowledge: "I heard that bananas ripen all your other fruit so you keep it separate from the rest of your fruit."

Vonnie suggests this technique keeps other fruits from ripening too soon and questioned, "Please tell me I am not the only one who had just learnt this? " Her revelation ignited a flurry of responses, with some expressing astonishment while others admitted they were also unaware of the banana hanger's purpose.

One individual revealed: "Well, 25 years of my life I've been living a lie. You taught me something." Another confessed their ignorance: "Didn't know either."

However, there were those in the know, with one person sharing: "Omg I'm still learning something every day omg."

and another less surprised: "Yes, I've know this for ages, sorry."

A few commenters stated plainly: "Everyone knows this," and "Bananas hangers are such old inventions," as echoed by others. Interestingly, one commenter even pointed out an unconventional use: "It's definitely for bananas, but my grandparents hang their keys on it."

Were you aware of this? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.