Bananas are a commonplace item on many a grocery list, working well as a quick snack, or in many breakfasts and baked goods. But one thing that drives most banana fans crazy is the speed at which they ripen and over-ripen. For most, it feels like they have one good day of bright yellow fruit on their counter, and as soon as they blink, the bright yellow fades, and brown, freckled skin takes its place – leaving you with overly ripe, mushy fruit and another banana loaf to make.
This begs the question: what’s the best way to store bananas? Should you refrigerate them, or pop them into bags? And what about those funny tinfoil hats people use? Are they any good?
We’ve scoured the internet and used our own expertise to bring you the best options for storing your next bunch.
1. Refrigeration method
For bananas to stay optimal, they need to be stored at 12ºC. However, if your bunch has reached peak ripeness, and you need some extra time before devouring them, you’re going to have to slow or halt the ripening process. This is where the fridge comes in. Since fridge temperatures are around 4ºC, they make for the best temperature to slow down the ripening process.
Storing a bunch in your crisper drawer will give 3 ot 4 more days to make the most out of the bunch. But remember, the fridge is where things get paused. So if you’re popping a starchy, slightly green bunch in, that’s the way they’ll stay. Same goes for overly ripe ones. Choose your time and ripeness level wisely – and don’t expect any miracles. The fridge method is more for preservation, not ultimate storage.
Storage rating: 5/10
2. Bag method
Brown paper bags are only good for one thing when it comes to bananas: ripening them. Make sure you choose an opaque, breathable produce bag for this method. A closed bag will trap the ethylene gas the bananas naturally release – speeding up the ripening process. A breathable bag, however, does the complete oposite. It lets the gas move freely, slowly and equally ripening the bunch. The only drawback? Keeping them in a bag on a counter can cause bruising, and can be a bit of a bore to open and retrive the fruit.
Storage rating: 8/10
3. Tinfoil method
You might think tinfoil is reserved for roasting and strange conspiracy theories, but it’s also one of the best items to use for making your bunch of bananas last longer. Wrapping the stems of the bunch with tinfoil, like a make-shift hat, keeps the ethylene gas (that’s omitted from the stems) from spreading – keeping your bananas from ripening further. Wrap up the stems and store in a seperate fruit bowl, or, even better, on a hook.
Avoid wrapping individual banana stems, this method works best as a team effort. Snap off what you need, and re-wrap the rest securely, and enjoy perfectly ripe bananas for a good 3 to 4 days!
Storage rating: 9/10
Also See: 10 Recipes you can make with bananas (other than banana bread)
10 Recipes you can make with bananas (other than banana bread)
