How To Store Bananas To Last Longer

The bananas are usually hung from a hook so that there is less ethylene gas produced and hence takes its time to gather in order to cause ripening. This also reduces the risk of the fruit resting on some surfaces with areas of pressure that may lead to bruising and faster ripening.

Through the neutralization of ethylene gas, bananas take a longer time to age. When bananas are placed in a fruit basket with a holder for the banana or an under-counter banana hook, they ripen slowly and remain fresh.

Ethylene gas which causes the ripening of bananas is released from the stems, so it makes sense to prevent ripening by covering the stems with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. This traps and prevents the release of ethylene gas and significantly slows down the ripening.

By minimizing the total ethylene gas that can be exposed to the fruit, the ripening process will occur gradually and make the bananas last longer on the shelf. Don’t be alarmed if you see that the stems themselves have blacked due to ethylene gas being concentrated there.

Bananas aren’t the only fruits to produce ethylene gas so it makes sense that bananas should be kept far away from other similar fruits such as apples, pears, and avocadoes are also capable of producing the gas since they can also force the banana to ripen despite not originating from within the banana.

It can also work the other way around as the ethylene gas produced bananas can also ripen these other fruits which will then also proceed to release ethylene gas leading to a cascading exponential effect of increasing the amount of ethylene gas in the container massively making all of them overripe in short order.

Ripe bananas should be stored in the refrigerator without a bag to last longer and maintain their ripeness. Bananas ripen best at room temperature and therefore, storing them in the refrigerator reduces their exposure to warmth thus causing them to ripen slowly.

The cold environment inside the fridge slows down the formation of ethylene gas which is needed for the ripening of fruits. Although the peel becomes brown or black the fruit inside is fresh and can be eaten for several days.

If the bananas are slightly raw then it’s fine to keep them outside but if the bananas are already ripened, they should be stored in the refrigerator without a bag in order for them to last longer. Bananas ripen best at room temperature therefore storing bananas in refrigerator at 54°F (12°C) is the best solution.

Any colder and the bananas in fridge will turn black making it difficult to remove whereas a slightly warmer environment won’t completely halt the formation of ethylene gas. Therefore 54°F (12°C) is the perfect Goldilocks zone where the bananas won’t get cell damage from the cold or overripen.

Freezing bananas is the best method to store bananas for the long term as it is the only method that can expand their self-life to 6 months instead of a paltry 1-2 weeks as with other methods. There’s a proper method to freezing bananas so don’t just put the bananas into the freezer with peel and all.

Bananas frozen with peel tend to blacken and ruin the taste of bananas so one may wonder how can you store bananas by freezing?  First, peel and arrange them on a baking sheet before freezing them for an hour. After that, you can move them to an air-tight container or a freezer bag for storage.

Frozen bananas are a great addition to your smoothies and baked goods, we recommend consuming them while they’re still chilled instead of allowing them to thaw as they will become all mushy.

Another thing to note when learning how to store fresh bananas is to store them in a cool dry place in order to slow the rate of ripening as much as possible. This is because any exposure to heat and direct sunlight greatly encourages the release of ethylene gas from the bananas.

So, by storing the bananas in a dark and cool environment, you can keep them fresh and firm without experiencing any changes in taste or texture for a longer period. Thus, this simple practice helps you minimize cases of spoilage and wastage.

Instead of having to buy a banana bag, keep the bananas in their original packaging as they are usually designed to keep the bananas fresh for as long as possible in order to make it to your hands and prevent loss of profit from spoilage.

Instead of just retaining the original packaging blindly, make sure to check whether the original packaging has ventilation holes as these holes are needed to allow the air to circulate freely and prevent the concentration of ethylene gas while also reducing humidity and heat experienced by the bananas.

If you have already sliced the bananas, then you already know they will start turning brown and become spoiled. What if I told you there was a way to preserve the sliced bananas and have them not spoil? Simply dip the sliced bananas in lemon or orange juice.

This will create a layer that reduces the enzymatic browning and keeps your bananas fresher and more appealing for longer as the citric acid chelates with metal ions which prevents browning via oxidation. This is especially a great hack for bananas that are to be used in salads or other dishes.

If you have purchased green and unripe bananas, then it is important that you do not refrigerate them. Instead, place them at room temperature as the bananas will be made to ripen via heat while the low temperatures of the refrigerator will also slow this ripening process.

Aside from that when raw bananas are refrigerated, the cells of the bananas get damaged by the cold, and their enzymes are also altered so even if they have been removed from the refrigerator and thawed, they won’t ripen ever again. Therefore, having green bananas in refrigerator will only guarantee raw, starchy, and unsweet bananas.

This should come as no surprise but bananas should never be exposed to either very hot or very cold temperatures as both will hasten their ripening process and cause early spoilage. We already know high temperatures cause the formation of ethylene gas which has a ripening effect.

If the temperature is cold and the bananas are unpeeled, the banana enzymes will be forced to break down and the starch of the banana will be forcibly turned into sugar which results in a horrid overripe mushy mess.

Getting water on your bananas will cause them to spoil even faster due to it encouraging the spoilage process via mold or rot from bacterial growth. Thus, bananas should not be washed for storage and if they happen to get wet, they must be dried thoroughly without any moisture being retained.

Furthermore, the wetted skin can become blackish and slimy due to the breaking down of peeling skin due to bacterial rot which in turn reduces the quality of the fruits. Store bananas in a dry place and prevent their wetting to minimize the likelihood of bananas rotting and keep them fresh for longer so you can consume them on your terms.

Even if some of your bananas have managed to become somewhat overripe despite taking adequate storage measures, if they’re not rotten then you can still make use of these mushy bananas in a variety of ways instead of throwing them away.

Overripe bananas have a softer texture and are sweeter than the normal ones due to higher sugar concentration, they are especially ideal for being transformed into baked confectionary goods. Some examples that make use of overripe bananas are as follows:

• Banana Bread: Banana bread is the ideal choice for using up overripe bananas as the bread will absorb the sogginess and moisture from the bananas which balances out bread’s inherent dry nature while also adding sweetness and flavor.
• Banana Muffins: The English muffin is like banana bread in that it is essentially a bun pastry filled with bread. However, it is often made for an individual in its proportion and is a healthier alternative to bread as a breakfast as they have less carbohydrates, fat, and sugar.
• Banana Cookies: Yet another doughy oven-baked confectionary, mashed overripe bananas make a good cookie as the bananas help achieve a deliciously moist, sweet, and soft cookie interior with a hard and crunchy exterior combining the best of both worlds.
• Banana Donuts: If you are tired of always eating healthy then you can go all the way to making the sweetest thing possible by making banana-flavored donuts for a unique twist on an all-time favorite American treat. Not even Dunkins can dunk on what you got.
• Banana Pancakes: If you want to use bananas for dessert, mix the mashed bananas with the batter of a pancake which allows you to forgo butter to create a soft, tasty, and yet healthy banana-flavored pancake.
• Banana Pudding: Take a break from having to constantly bake confectionery and dessert in the oven by using a recipe that dates to the 14th century. While most Americans aren’t a fan of pudding, we’ll say don’t diss it until you dish it and give it a try.

Yes, you can in fact freeze bananas but only if it’s done properly. It is the only method that can preserve bananas for months and freezing bananas is also recommended from a nutritionist’s point of view as they lock in the taste and nutrition of the bananas at peak freshness for months at a time.

While frozen bananas easily last for over 6 months, it is recommended to use them up within the first 3 months as it is when they taste the best. In order to freeze the bananas, make sure to peel them beforehand and freeze them for 1 hour on a baking sheet.

Store them in plastic bags or airtight containers to prevent freezer burns. Make sure to also label the date on the package in the freezer so you can consume them before they start going bland. Blend the frozen bananas as a deliciously sweet base for smoothies or turn them into banana ice cream.

If the purchased bananas are green and thus underripe then even if they last longer by storing in the fridge, they wouldn’t be any good due to being raw so they should only be stored on the counter until ripened, so should you refrigerate bananas?

An unripe banana can easily last 6-7 days on the counter as it ripens while a properly ripe banana can be ruined as quickly as 2 days without taking any measures to preserve it. Ripe bananas last for an additional 5-7 days once refrigerated at their proper temperature.

So, if an unripe banana is left to ripen on the counter, then refrigerated once well ripe, they can last for 14 days which is significantly better than ripe bananas lasting only 2 days outside and 5-7 days in the fridge.

There are many things that can help you tell whether the bananas have gone bad from relying on your senses and common knowledge. However, there’s no shame in not knowing due to our heavily industrialized modern lifestyle and help will always be given to those who try and help themselves.

Check whether the bananas have gone bad by relying on the combination of their appearance, texture, color, and finally the smell of bananas themselves:

Color

Having dark spots or an overall brown appearance on a fruit might seem like it’s a sign of rot and make the bananas seem unappealing, but it doesn’t necessarily mean the bananas have gone bad or rotten.

It is very common to see bananas turn brown because of ethylene gas as they ripen which doesn’t affect their edibility, instead, a thoroughly brown banana can be one of the sweetest bananas that you could ever try, and they will still be white and firm underneath.

Texture

Checking the firmness of the texture is a good taste of ripeness or spoilage for any fruit but it is especially effective for bananas due to their soft skin.  A good fresh banana should be firm yet should be soft when squeezed.

If the banana feels mushy or overly soft then it may have gone bad after becoming overripe. Alternatively, if they feel too firm and hard to squeeze then they aren’t ripened yet and should not be opened or consumed for the time being without being made to ripe.

Smell

All fresh bananas have a sweet fragrant smell that is pleasing to the nostrils which can act as an immediate tell for whether a banana has gone bad simply due to how drastically different a bad banana smells from a good one.

An overripe banana will start to develop an off or sour smell and will ultimately result in a putrid fermented smell that attracts a lot of gnats and fruit flies and is best thrown away due to being spoilt.

There’s more to bananas than just these three simple tests but if the bananas pass all these tests and show no signs of mold then they’re generally safe to eat. However, if it tastes off while being consumed, it’s better to discard it entirely rather than risk food poisoning. If you want to have access to a steady supply of great bananas, consider growing bananas from seed.