Bananas stay fresh for longer without going brown if their stems are wrapped in tinfoil, according to Irish TV chef and content creator Catherine Fulvio. She shared the method on her YouTube channel as a way to slow down the ripening process.
Bananas, which are technically berries, continue to ripen after being picked by emitting ethylene, a gaseous hormone that speeds up the process. This gas can also accelerate the ripening of other fruit stored alongside them.
How the tinfoil hack works
Fulvio explained that the tops, or stems, of bananas are where the gas is released, saying: "and it's from there that your bananas ripen." She added: "So, if you cover up there, you'll solve your problem."
The chef recommends wrapping a sheet of tinfoil tightly around the stems of an unseparated bunch of bananas. She called the technique "genius" and said: "And that would slow down the ripening process."
Testing seven storage methods
Earlier this year, thekitchn.com contributor Ann Taylor Pittman tested seven methods for extending the life of bananas and gave the foil technique the highest ranking, at 9.5/10.
Pittman also highlighted an alternative method that keeps bananas fresh but changes their taste and consistency. She placed the fruit in a sealable BPA-free bag, typically used for keeping fruit and sandwiches fresh for work or school.
Results of the bag method
Although she had been advised against the bag method, Pittman tried it anyway. After six days, she said the bag had puffed out, as though slightly inflated by gas released from the fruit.
Because the bags were opaque, Pittman did not see the results until she opened one. She described the bananas as having "mostly pristine sunny yellow skins, with still a bit of green at the stem ends" and noted there were "almost no spots".
When peeled, the fruit had a soft and creamy consistency with "enhanced" flavour. Pittman gave this method a score of 8.5/10, noting that while she was not fully sold on the softness of the flesh, the unusual result may appeal to some people.
