Clever storage hack will keep bananas at 'perfect ripeness' for ten days

28 August 2023 , 14:45

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Say goodbye to wasted bananas (stock photo) (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Keeping your food fresh for as long as possible is especially important these days as the cost of the food shop continues to rise and we all look to cut down on the amount of food we waste. Packed full of nutrients and vitamins, bananas are a well-loved fruit and can be found all over the world where they are enjoyed alone as a standalone offering as well as in desserts, drinks and other dishes.

If you keep bananas in your home, you will be able to relate to being frustrated at just how quickly the fruits get bruised and become overripe. Buying bananas and waiting for them to ripen can be a confusing process that leaves a short window of time to enjoy the fruit before it starts to go brown.

To help people to enjoy bananas in their prime for as long as possible, director at CE Safety Gary Ellis revealed an important storage hack in an interview with Express.co.uk. Using these tips, the expert says that your bananas will stay fresh for up to 10 days.

Gary explained that bananas emit ethylene gas which is what makes them turn brown and to keep bananas ripe and yellow, you should prevent the ethylene gas from travelling around the fruit. Most importantly, you should keep your bunches far away from other fruits.

"One key rule with bananas is to keep them away from other produce. Fruit bowls with banana hangers over the top of them may look pretty, but these are just going to make your bananas ripen faster as they are near other fruits," says Gary.

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Separating up the bunch also helps slow down the inevitable browning of the fruit. Gary added, "This will keep them fresher for longer as it traps the ethylene gas at the top of the fruit where it emits from rather than letting it spread and exposing the other bananas to the gas."

The expert also explained a common misconception about storing bananas. The fruit can be placed in the fridge but this should be done with caution. He explained that putting the fruit in the fridge can extend its shelf life but only if it is put in the fridge when they are already perfectly ripe. Gary said, "If you put them in too soon, they'll stay very green. Too late and they will turn brown and mushy."

Would you try this hack? Let us know in the comments...

Naimah Archibald-Powell