Keeping food fresh for longer during summer can be difficult, and it can be tempting to put everything into the fridge in hot weather. While this works for some produce, it will simply spoil others. Bananas are one item of food that should never be placed in the fridge, with consumer experts at Which? warning homeowners that they will “turn black” if kept here.
Bananas are a tropical fruit, so they actually prefer being in warmer environments and placing them in the fridge can lead to them ripening too quickly, and going rotten as a result. Instead, the experts said bananas should be kept somewhere “nice and cool” to help them last longer, even in the warm weather.
Southern Living also warned readers that keeping bananas in the fridge can result in a phenomenon known as chilling injury, which occurs when bananas are kept at especially low temperatures.
While bananas are best enjoyed slightly ripe and sweet, this instead causes a bitter flavour and discoloration in the fruit, and leads to bananas decaying faster as the skin is essentially fermenting in the fridge.
In response to the Instagram post shared by Which? advising followers how to store bananas, one user commented and said: “I actually chop up my bananas into bitesize chunks and then freeze them for later. Really enjoy them as a summer snack when it’s hot.”
Although bananas are best kept outside of the fridge in a cool spot in the kitchen, they can actually be frozen and if you find you’re struggling to get through them, this could be an easy solution.
The publication explained that freezing bananas is in fact the best and safest way of preserving them as it completely stops the ripening process instead of speeding it up.
While it won’t spoil them, it will change the texture of the fruit, so it’s best done with bananas you don’t mind being mashed into a recipe.
Depending on how ripe bananas are when you buy them will also determine how long they might last. Buying a bunch while they’re still slightly green means they won’t go ripe as quickly.
However, you might want to consider giving your bananas a quick wash once you’re home from the supermarket as fruit flies are more prevalent in the warmer months, and can lay their eggs on the fruit.
Making sure your bananas are free of any pesky flies or eggs before placing them in your kitchen can also keep them fresh for longer over summer.
