A food expert has sounded the alarm about bananas and how we’re storing them at home. Ellen Christian, the brains behind Confessions of an Overworked Mom, says there is a very common mistake people commit when putting away bananas — they’re storing them in a bowl with all their other fruit.
Ellen pointed out: “As vegetables and fruits ripen, they release gas. This gas can cause other vegetables and fruits, including bananas, to ripen more quickly as well.”
Bananas are not only flavoursome but they let out a natural gas known as ethylene that quickens the ripening of produce. However, storing with different fruits results in an excess production of this gas, prompting your fruits and veggies to decay quicker.
Not only does this waste money, but during the warmer months, it can attract fruit flies into your home, which nobody wants to deal with.
The top approach for keeping bananas fresh and prolonging their shelf life involves wrapping their stems in cling film.
Ellen said: “Bananas release ethylene from the stems. This ethylene causes the yellow skin to get brown spots. If you wrap the stems individually in plastic wrap, you can slow down the release of ethylene which will make them last longer.”
To extend the life of bananas, wrapping the stems tightly in cling film is key. This simple trick can keep them yellow and prevent food waste for up to a week longer when kept away from your fruit bowl.
For an even longer shelf life, you can keep them in the fridge, even though this isn’t something that people typically do.
While many people assume that cold temperatures aren’t banana-friendly due to skin blackening, this is merely superficial—the interior remains perfectly fresh and firm.
Expert Ellen iterated: “If you don’t mind the black skin, you can store them in the refrigerator to slow down the ripening process. The inside will still be fine. It’s only the peels that turn dark.”
Remember, it’s ripe yellow bananas that benefit from being stored in the fridge, which halts the ripening entirely.
On the flip side, green bananas imprisoned in the fridge will never ripen. But combine stem-wrapping with refrigeration once they’ve ripened to yellow, and you could enjoy freshness for up to two weeks beyond their usual lifespan.