Bananas can be kept fresh for up to 14 days longer than usual with a simple household item, according to food expert Mandy Applegate from the blog Two City Vegans. The key is to store them away from other fruit and wrap their stems in cling film.
Why bananas turn brown quickly
Bananas are among the most wasted foods in UK kitchens because most people store them in the wrong place. Applegate said a fruit bowl is one of the worst places to keep bananas, as many other fruits such as apples and peaches also release ethylene gas.
“A fruit bowl is one of the worst places to store bananas since many other fruits, like apples and peaches, also release ethylene gas. Keeping bananas away from other fruit prevents a chain reaction of over-ripening,” she said.
Fruits like bananas, apples and peaches release ethylene gas, a natural substance that ripens fruit so it becomes soft and flavourful. When too much ethylene builds up in the air, fruit speeds through the ripening process and quickly becomes rotten. Bananas are sensitive to ethylene while also producing a lot of it, so keeping them out of the fruit bowl and storing them separately on the kitchen worktop is recommended.
How to extend banana freshness
To keep bananas fresh, store them away from other fruit and any heat sources such as an air fryer or oven. To make them last even longer, slowing down their ethylene production completely with cling film can help.
“Wrapping the stems of bananas in plastic wrap effectively slows down the room-temperature ripening process. The stems release the ethylene gas, so covering them traps the gas,” Applegate said.
“This simple technique can keep room-temperature bananas firm and yellow for longer. Just a small piece of plastic wrap can make all the difference in extending bananas’ shelf life.”
Bananas produce ethylene gas from their stem, so wrapping them in cling film or tin foil stops the gas from being released into the air. If bananas are taken out of a fruit bowl, kept away from heat and their stems wrapped, they should stay fresh up to 10 days or even 14 days longer than they normally would.
