2 weeks Ago By Katherine McPhillips
Nothing is worse than going to eat a banana only to discover it is bruised and mushy, but there is a way to extend its shelf life to make it last at least a week rather than a few days. Leah Ingram, a cook and co-founder of Bagels and Lasagna , has shared that where you store bananas in your kitchen will greatly affect how long they will stay fresh. Leah said: “A fruit bowl is one of the worst places to store bananas since many other fruits, like apples and peaches, also release ethylene gas.
” Bananas are highly sensitive to a substance called ethylene gas, which is released into the air by fruit to help it ripen and become more flavourful. However, when too much ethylene is released into the air, it builds up and causes fruit to spoil much faster than it normally would. Bananas produce a lot of ethylene gas, which is why you should keep them out of your fruit bowl and store them on your kitchen counter instead.
Leah said: “Place bananas on your countertop, away from direct sunlight, heat sources and other fruit. Make sure there is good air circulation to prevent moisture buildup.” Once you have found the best place to keep bananas, wrap their stems in clingfilm, as this will trap the ethylene gas and slow down the ripening process.
All you need to do is separate each banana, place it in a bowl on your kitchen counter away from a window, and then wrap each one in a little bit of clingfilm. Leah 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 will stay fresh if they are exposed to less ethylene, but a major issue in spring and summer is that heat also causes them to begin ripening. If you want to keep bananas fresh during hot weather, you can store them in the fridge. Leah said: “Placing bananas in the refrigerator extends their shelf life once they’ve reached the desired level of ripeness.
“The cold temperature slows down the production of ethylene gas. Although the skin may darken, the fruit inside remains firm and unchanged” However, you can only store yellow bananas in the fridge as the cold will completely halt the ripening process and cause green bananas to stay hard and tasteless. When you come home from the supermarket, store bananas on your countertop with the stems wrapped up, and only once they turn fully yellow can you place them in the fridge.
Taking the proper steps to store bananas properly will keep them fresh and delicious for longer rather than turning into a brown, spotty or gooey mess..
