Bananas can be an easy, fresh fruit snack. But they can also start to brown and overripen quickly. Here are some simple, money-saving ways for how to make bananas last longer.
We go through a lot of bananas in our house. They’re like nature’s perfect snack food. But we used to have at least a couple that would become overripe before we got a chance to eat them. Until we learned these 8 easy hacks to make them last longer!
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1. Wrap your banana stems
Bananas, and many other fruits, produce a substance called ethylene gas. It induces ripening. But too much can cause fruits to overripen. In bananas, this gas is released through the stems.
One way to limit it is to simply wrap the stems with plastic wrap. This reduces ethylene exposure and delays ripening so your bananas stay fresh for longer.
For the same reason, avoid storing your bananas in paper or plastic bags, as the ethylene will build up and ripen them faster.
2. Separate your bananas
To limit ethylene exposure from your bunch of bananas even more, you can separate them and wrap the stems individually. This prevents any gas from other stems from escaping and affecting the rest of the bunch. And when you’re ready to eat one, you can quickly grab it and go!
3. Store them on a hook
Leaving your bananas on a countertop can limit airflow around the fruit and cause them to bruise. Enter the fruit hook. These handy devices let you hang your bananas from them with ease. This allows the ethylene gas to disperse more effectively. And it helps prevent bruising and discoloration.
4. Or use a fruit bowl
Don’t have a fruit hook? A fruit bowl is another great option. The key is to use a wire bowl that can let air flow through it, rather than a solid one. The principle here is the same as the hook to help prevent over-ripening and bruising.
5. Keep other fruits separate
If you decide to use a fruit basket, be careful not to store your bananas with other fruits, especially apples and pears. That’s because those two are some of the biggest ethylene emitters. Keeping them with your bananas will simply transfer the gas from one fruit to the other, ripening all of them more quickly. So it’s best to keep your bananas separate.
6. Refrigerate them once they ripen
If your bananas have fully ripened, but not yet browned, you can delay over-ripening by keeping them in the fridge. The substances that control ripening are hampered when bananas are refrigerated, so the fruit stays fresh for longer. On average, this can extend the shelf life by up to a couple of days.
Just beware of refrigerating bananas before they’re ripe and still green. That can induce a condition known as “chilling injury” which can prevent them from ripening at all and harm their taste and texture.
7. Freeze your bananas
If you need to store your bananas long term — more than a week — your best option is to freeze them. Simply peel them first, then place them in freezer freezer-safe plastic bag either whole or in slices. If you plan to use them in smoothies, you don’t even need to defrost them. You can just pop them in the blender when you’re ready to make one!
👉🏼 Related: How to Freeze Plantains
8. Make banana bread
If your bananas have already browned, don’t throw them away. Make them last longer by using them in banana bread. This bread requires overripe bananas to provide sweetness and texture. Not only is this a great way to limit waste. You also end up with a delicious baked treat.
Check out our sister site Urban Bliss Life for our easy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe.
👉🏼 Related: How to Freeze Banana Bread Batter
FAQ
Avoid storing fresh bananas in Ziploc bags. This will trap a substance called ethylene gas, which speeds up ripening in fruit. As a result, your bananas will brown more quickly. If you’re freezing bananas, you can store them in plastic Ziploc bags. Just be sure to peel them first.
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