Bananas are among the most popular fruits, but they can turn from perfectly ripe to heavily speckled and brown surprisingly fast. This often leads to bananas being thrown away or frozen and never used. With many storage methods available online claiming to keep the fruit fresher for longer, one test set out to see which actually made a difference.
Three simple hacks were tested using a bunch of bananas, with the fruit checked daily for changes in colour, firmness and overall appearance. One method stood out from the rest, keeping the bananas ripe for eight days.
The three methods tested
The bananas were kept in the same kitchen and compared over a week or so. The three methods were: keeping them in a fruit bowl, putting them in the fridge, and wrapping foil around the tops of the bananas.
The first bunch was kept in a fruit bowl, the usual way of storing bananas. It is the easiest option and requires no preparation, but the bananas started to show signs of ripening fast. The skin turned yellow within a couple of days, and familiar brown spots appeared over the next few days. While spotted bananas are still perfectly good to eat, the fruit eventually becomes much softer and sweeter. After trying the other storage hacks, the fruit bowl method was no longer preferred, especially as bananas can attract fruit flies.
Fridge and foil results
For the second test, bananas were put straight into the fridge. This method is often controversial, much like storing bread in the fridge, because the cold temperature can cause the banana skin to darken. The skin had darkened, making the bananas look unappealing, but the flesh remained in better condition than expected and was still perfectly fine to eat until around day five.
The third method was by far the favourite and also very simple. A small piece of foil was wrapped around the tops of the bananas, covering the area around the stems. The bananas stayed firm and fresh much longer than with the other methods. By day eight, the foil-wrapped bananas were still in good condition, making it the clear winner of the experiment.
Why the foil trick works
Bananas produce ethylene, particularly around the stem area, and this gas encourages the fruit to ripen. Covering the stems is intended to slow down this process. It is not a way to stop them from ripening completely, but in the experiment, it appeared to slow the process enough to keep them feeling fresher for longer. It also meant the bunch of bananas could be eaten before they went bad, which is not always the case.
