Bananas stored on a warm kitchen worktop will go brown and mushy faster, according to food expert Mimi Morley, Senior Recipe Development Manager at HelloFresh. The common mistake of leaving them near heat, sunlight or other fruit can speed up the ripening process.
Keep bananas away from heat and other fruit
Morley said people often make mistakes that lead bananas to ripen much quicker than they need to. She advised: "To stop bananas ripening too quickly, keep them away from other fruit, away from direct sunlight and away from heat. Bananas give off a ripening hormone called ethylene, and fruits like apples, pears and avocados are especially good at both producing and picking up on it, so keeping them apart stops that ripening effect from rubbing off."
She added: "Warmth speeds things up too, so it's worth remembering that a toasty kitchen worktop will get your bananas ripening much faster than you'd expect."
Bananas ripen at a normal room-temperature rate on a worktop, which is faster than in a cooler environment. Worktops expose bananas to ambient room warmth, which naturally allows the internal starches to convert into sugars. Therefore, they should never be placed near areas that are too hot.
Fruit bowls can make the problem worse
Stacking bananas next to other ethylene-producing fruits like apples, pears or avocados on a worktop will make them ripen even faster. Avoid putting them in a fruit bowl with these items if you want them to stay fresh for as long as possible.
When to use the fridge
While Morley did not offer advice on refrigerating bananas, others have in the past. Generally, bananas should only be placed in the fridge after they are fully ripe. The cold stops green or firm bananas from ripening properly, but it safely extends the life of yellow bananas. While the peel will turn black, the fruit inside should remain good to eat.
Bananas can be chilled when they reach the sweetness and softness you like. Once ripe, the cooler temperature should slow down further softening, meaning you should get a few extra days of use. Banana slices can also be kept in the fridge in a sealed container.
The main takeaway is to keep bananas away from heat, sunlight and fruit bowls. Following this advice should help to keep them fresh.
