How to keep bananas fresh so they don't turn brown

It truly is a frequent struggle! But these storage tricks will assistance gradual down the fruit’s all-natural ripening process.

Bananas are the ticking time bombs of fruit. It looks like they can go from environmentally friendly and bitter to brown and Fruit Fly Central right away. At that position, you may possibly as well pull out your bread tins and and make banana bread for all the neighbors.

So, how can you lengthen that sweet place period when bananas are sweet, yellow and perfectly ripe? It is all about how and the place you retailer these little potassium boomerangs.

Below are a couple guidelines for storing bananas so they will stay ripe and yellow (not brown) for as extended as achievable.

Additional: Does storing fruit in mason jars aid it hold for a longer period? We examined this kitchen hack

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Spend in a Banana Hanger

A person of the best strategies to continue to keep bananas from ripening too quickly is with a banana hanger. Bruised fruit is going to ripen much more swiftly, because the bruising harms the skin and jeopardizes its skill to safeguard the fruit from oxygen and mobile breakdown. Try storing your banana bunch on a banana hanger, which prevents the bananas from sitting down on major of each other — the pressure from which can result in bruising. You can even obtain twin-function fruit storage alternatives, like a fruit bowl-banana hanger combo that provides a sprint of cuteness to your countertop aesthetic.

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More: How to get rid of fruit flies

Retailer Bananas in a Great, Dim Space

Heat and light are two of the most significant offenders when it arrives to the speedy ripening of fruit. And for lots of of us, the kitchen is the brightest and warmest place in the residence. So if you want to hold your bananas secure from about-ripening, attempt storing them someplace amazing and dim, significantly absent from the oven and other warmth or light-weight sources.

You can consider care of the “dark” part of the equation by supplying your bananas with their really own sack, like a banana storage bag. Storing bananas inside the darkness of a breathable bag could help lengthen their lifespan.

Much more: 5 fruits you shouldn’t refrigerate

Use Plastic Wrap on the Stems

Have you ever discovered that the bananas at the grocery keep normally have plastic wrap on their stems? The plastic was not remaining on there by slip-up — that plastic wrap on the stems is there to assist the bananas continue to be clean and delay over-ripening.

When bananas ripen, their stems launch ethylene gas, and when it spreads to the relaxation of the fruit, it will rapidly ripen. The plastic wrap about the stem retains the ethylene gas contained so the bananas are significantly less uncovered to it. Attempt this grocery retail store trick by possibly holding the plastic wrap all-around the stems or incorporating your have.

Wrap the Stems in Foil

The Kitchn conducted an experiment to obtain out which tactic was ideal at preserving bananas from ripening way too speedily, and even though the plastic-wrap-on-the-stems trick labored perfectly adequate, it turned out to be even much more productive when swapping the plastic wrap for significant-obligation foil. The idea behind this tactic is the identical as the reasoning guiding utilizing plastic wrap: The foil retains the ethylene gas contained, which slows the ripening course of action. Out of the seven hacks that the writer tried, fashioning the bananas with a tiny tin hat produced the very best effects.

Pop Them in the Fridge—Once They Are Ripe

You can retail store bananas in the fridge to hold off their browning approach — but you require to make sure that the bananas are by now at your wanted ripeness in advance of you adhere them in the refrigerator. If you put inexperienced bananas in the fridge, they will possibly keep that way. In accordance to the U.S. Office of Agriculture, if you place bananas into the fridge too shortly, they are at danger of “chilling harm,” which can negatively impression their flavor and texture.

Use Lemon Juice

If you want to maintain sliced bananas from likely brown (if you are working with them in a fruit salad or placing them in your kid’s bento box), sprinkle a very little lemon juice on top rated of the bananas right after you slice them. The lemon juice will keep the bananas from turning brown and mushy, and you shouldn’t be in a position to flavor the lemon taste in the ultimate products.

If you even now close up with as well-ripe bananas, you can consider some of these enjoyment banana bread recipes, like this chocolate spice banana bread and caramel macchiato banana bread, or for something truly decadent, banana bread bottom cheesecake.

Kate Emswiler contributed to this report.