Bananas are one of the most popular fruits and there’s good reason. They’re a great source of energy, potassium, fiber and other nutrients.
Bananas are a great fruit to eat, but have you ever noticed that they seem to go bad way too quickly?
One day they’re perfectly green and fresh, and the next day they’re brown with some icky spots on them.
Bananas develop brown spots when they get close to their expiration date or start rotting before they eat them thanks to an enzyme that causes oxidation in fruit cells called polyphenol oxidase (PPO).
Well, if you want your bananas to stay fresh for longer than just one or two days (and who doesn’t?), In this article, I will teach you how to keep bananas green by using easy-to-find household products.
Green Banana Shelf Life
The shelf life of bananas is difficult to know because there are no dates that say when they will go bad. But we have to use the date that you bought the bananas.
Usually, fresh Bananas last for 2-9 Days before ripening
Storing Bananas Properly
- 12 x 5 inches fruit bowl to hold various sized fruits
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Bananas are a great, healthy snack – but they don’t always stay fresh for long. With the right storage techniques, your bananas can last up to two weeks!
Store them in their peels (or peel immediately before eating). Bananas that have been peeled and exposed to air will soon turn brown.
Store them away from other produce with high levels of ethylene gas (such as apples or tomatoes) because this will speed up the ripening process.
Place them inside an open paper bag or grocery bag so they’re protected from humidity and bugs. And make sure you check on your bananas often so they’ll stay green for longer than just one day!
Easy Ways on How to Keep Green Bananas from Ripening
Leave/ Hang bananas in a bunch, away from other produce.
It recommends that you store them in a bunch, preferably away from produce with high levels of ethylene gas like apples and tomatoes.
Leaving them intact will allow for air flow around the fruit which helps slow down the progression of rotting!
Once they ripen, Freeze in the fridge.
When they ripen, it’s time to store them in the fridge. To keep them green, place the whole banana in a freezer bag and store it for up to 2 weeks.
This will help keep their fresh green color and decrease spoilage due to bacteria growth.
However, keep in mind that, higher freezing temperatures can destroy flavor, texture, nutrients and other qualities that make us love eating them.
If the bananas are peeled, add citrus
If the bananas are peeled, add citrus juice (lemon or lime) to a bowl of water and place the bananas in it. If they’re not peeled, wrap them tightly with plastic and leave them for two days before unwrapping.
Place the cut side up so as much air contact as possible will keep bacteria from growing on their surface too quickly.
Use vinegar
Soak them in a gallon of water mixed with one cup of vinegar. Soaking the banana for 15 minutes will help to remove some bacteria, which can cause it to not turn brown faster.
Separate, Then Wrap the Stems
One good option is to put your banana stems in water as soon as you get home from grocery shopping or unpack your groceries at home. That’ll keep those fruits green by slowing down oxidation processes.
The key is preventing this enzyme from doing its job by separating bananas from each other so it will only be able to affect ripe fruit without affecting any un-ripe ones sitting next to them on the countertop or inside a bowl.
Then you should wrap all but about two inches of banana stems with plastic wrap because PPO resides at the stem end which is what’s in contact with air.
For even better results, try adding some lemon juice or vinegar to lengthen its life span even further and keep those green peels nice and fresh!
Keep in mind that all items eventually go bad/spoil so don’t let your fruit go to waste. Don’t let those tasty bananas sit on the counter for weeks or months while tempting you with their sweetness because they’re going rotten.
Chances are, if they’ve been sitting out for more than three days then they need to be tossed in the trashcan ASAP.
How to Store Sliced or Partial Bananas Fresh?
https://www.wikihow.com/Keep-Sliced-Bananas-from-Discoloring.
Keep Unripe Bananas at Room Temp:
If you buy unripe bananas, do not refrigerate them or expose them to water!.
It is important to know what does effect how fast your bananas turn brown: water exposure! If there’s any moisture on your skin touching your bananas, it will speed up the browning process.
If they are kept away from direct sunlight and any moisture. One day’s exposure of 20% humidity can cause mushy banana flesh that no longer has its characteristic firmness.
What to do with Overripe bananas:
Remove the peel of an overripe banana with your fingers or use a knife to cut it off about one inch below where the fruit has gone bad. The exposed flesh will stay fresh for three to five days.
There are many ways to use overripe bananas. One easy and tasty option is banana bread.
Banana bread is a great way to use overripe bananas in the recipe. Bananas also make for a tasty “banana split” type of dessert.
They are loaded with potassium and can be used to make your own shake by pureeing them with milk or coconut water and then blending in other ingredients like chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, or kale.
Different Variable Effects on Ripening Green Bananas
Fruit maturity, temperature, and ethylene gas all affect how quickly a green banana will ripen.
Bananas that are both less mature (under-ripe) and colder in temperature will take longer to turn yellow than bananas which have been allowed to warm up or those with higher levels of ethylene gas.
Ethylene gas speeds up the ripening process so even if your bananas started off as green, they may be turning yellow sooner than you realize!
The best way you can keep bananas in their freshest state is by keeping them away from produce with high levels of ethylene gas, such as apples or tomatoes
This is especially an issue when storing them near apples because they release more of this gas than most other fruits.
If you want them to stay fresh for as long as possible put them away from produce items like these.
Temperature also plays a role in how quickly bananas will ripen, so be sure to store them at room temperature or below.
Water loss and humidity can also affect how quickly your bananas ripen.
Store them in a cool, dry place where humidity levels are low and make sure to wrap the stems with plastic so they don’t come into contact with any other fruit that does produce this gas.
Sunlight also affects bananas: they will ripen faster in direct light, so store them away from windows or other sources of natural light.
So if you want your bananas at their freshest, store them as far away from these produce items as possible.
Mechanical damage such as bruising, will also cause bananas to ripen quickly.
Peel thickness of the banana can also impact how quickly it ripens. Banana with thin peel ripens fast due to higher permeability.
Final Words
Bananas can be a healthy and convenient part of your diet, but sometimes they turn brown too quickly which makes them less than appealing. They key is to store bananas correctly in order for them not to lose their nutrients and stay green.
