Make Your Bananas Last Longer

Is there anything more delicious than fresh fruit? Fresh fruit is definitely up there, and it’s hard to beat the taste of a ripe banana. Here are some of the most effective ways you can keep your bananas from browning too quickly.

Hang bananas to keep them fresh

Turns out there’s a scientific reason you should be hanging your bananas from a hook. Bananas start ripening as soon as they’re picked from trees—ethylene gas releases from the stems as soon as they’re picked, but when you hang bananas from a hook, the gas works more slowly. Hanging bananas also prevents them from staining on the counter, which they’re more prone to do as they continue ripening.

You can pick up a fruit basket with a built-in hook or a small under-cabinet hook made specifically for bananas.

Buy green bananas

The easiest way to extend your bananas’ shelf life is to buy the greenest bananas you can find. They’re picked while still green, then slowly ripen over time to reach that bright yellow we love.

Wrap banana stems in plastic wrap

Remember that ethylene gas that makes bananas ripen? It comes from the stems, which means you can wrap those stems—with plastic wrap or aluminum foil—to slow down the ripening process. You may see grocery stores selling bunches of bananas with plastic wrap on the stems, but for best results, take your bananas separately and wrap their stems separately.

Place ripe bananas in the fridge

One of the basic rules of banana storage is to never store them in the fridge. But rules are meant to be broken, especially when it comes to bananas. You should keep green bananas far away from the fridge, but once your bananas have completely ripened, you can move them to the fridge where the cool temperatures will keep them from ripening further (for a few days at least).

Freeze your bananas

Freezing bananas is one of the easiest ways to keep them preserved for future use. But how you freeze bananas could have a big effect on how well they melt. Freezing the entire bunch will darken the peels, and they’ll melt poorly. Instead, consider freezing peeled, individual bananas or banana slices in resealable airtight bags.

Buy a banana storage container

Staining can cause mess on your bananas. It leads to soft parts and faster ripening, which is where hard cases built specifically for bananas come in handy. You can now buy reusable containers designed hold one banana at a time, which are a great way to keep ripe bananas ready for lunch (or for your afternoon snack).

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