Banana lovers, take note – a nifty little trick could seriously extend the life of your bananas, so it’s goodbye to the days of throwing out brown, mushy fruit and hello to fresher, tastier snacks. Is your fruit bowl quickly turning into a banana graveyard? You buy them yellow and perky, but in the blink of an eye, they’re brown-spotted and mushy, destined for the bin or perhaps recycled into yet another loaf of banana bread.
What if the key to preserving your bananas lies in how you store them? That’s what a food storage wizard is suggesting as she reckons the way we’re keeping our bananas could be spoiling them sooner – and wrecking other fruits along the way.
Linda Loosli, an expert from Food Storage Moms, says that dumping bananas in the communal fruit bowl with apples and oranges is a recipe for rapid rotting.
The problem stems from bananas emitting ethylene, a growth hormone escaping through their stems, vital for ripening but also a fast-track to spoilage affecting all fruit in its vicinity.
The pro tip from Linda: “One mistake people often make is that they start hanging their bananas too close to other fruits in the kitchen. If you’re buying many fruits, including apples, oranges, and pears, try to keep them separated from your bananas.
“You might think that the best thing to do when buying bananas is to keep them attached, grabbing one at a time when you plan to eat the banana or using it in a recipe. However, this isn’t the case.”
To keep your bananas fresher for longer, Linda advises separating them and wrapping each stem with cling film, which can prevent ethylene gas release and potentially keep your bananas fresh for a fortnight.
Linda further explained the science behind the method: “When wrapped in plastic, the bananas contain more of their ethylene gas, which prevents the ripening process from happening too quickly.
“If you don’t want the bananas to end up ripening fast before you’re ready to eat them or use them to make something, this is an important trick that will extend the life of the fruit.”
For those who prefer their bananas chilled, Linda suggests waiting until they’ve yellowed and started to ripen before popping them in the fridge.
She clarified: “The cold temperatures will keep them from ripening at all, or in the time you want to use them,” adding, “If they don’t ripen some, it’s difficult for you to use the bananas because they’ll lack that sweet taste that you love and enjoy when eating them.”
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