Storing bananas in fruit bowls could actually be one of the worst things you can do.
Households are being urged to take bananas out of fruit bowls if they want them to stay ripe longer(Image: Mark Duffy via Getty Images)
Bananas are an incredibly versatile fruit that are delicious and packed with nutrients. They can make an excellent start to the day, yet all too often end up being a waste of money as they turn brown and mushy remarkably quickly.
There are few things more frustrating than completing a large supermarket shop only to find your bananas looking spotty or bruised within just a couple of days. Approximately 3.2 billion bananas are reportedly discarded across the UK every year, and this could partly be attributed to people making the error of keeping them in fruit bowls.
Leah Ingram from the cooks at Bagels and Lasagna has revealed that bananas will simply spoil before their expiry date when kept in a fruit bowl, as they cannot be stored alongside other fruit. She 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.”
Why avoid storing bananas in a fruit bowl?
Bananas produce a considerable amount of ethylene gas, a plant hormone that certain fruits release into the air following harvesting in order to regulate the ripening process, reports the Express.
While it helps to soften and sweeten the banana, other fruits also release ethylene gas, which can cause an excessive build-up in the surrounding air. Removing bananas from a fruit bowl and keeping them separately will considerably reduce ethylene levels and help maintain their freshness, along with that of other fruit, for much longer.
Where should you store bananas?
It is far more effective to keep bananas at room temperature on a kitchen worktop or table, well away from a fruit bowl. 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.”
Bananas can be stored on a plate or in a bowl by themselves, though some people prefer to hang them on a banana hook, as improving airflow around the fruit helps to reduce ethylene levels. Keeping bananas on a worktop should help them remain fresh for at least a week longer than storing them in a fruit bowl.
Some people also wrap the stems of their bananas in cling film or tin foil, as this helps to prevent ethylene from escaping into the air and can extend their shelf life by a further week.
However, the most effective method of prolonging the life of bananas is to place them in the fridge. As a tropical fruit, bananas produce ethylene, which cannot withstand cold temperatures.
Refrigerating bananas may cause the skin to turn black, but the fruit inside will remain yellow and perfectly edible.
It is worth noting that halting ethylene production will prevent bananas from ripening altogether, so only yellow or browning bananas should ever be placed in the fridge.
Storing green, unripe bananas in the fridge will leave them hard and bitter indefinitely, with no possibility of ripening, meaning they will simply go to waste. Ensure you keep green bananas on the worktop, then move them into the fridge once they begin to show a few spots, and this should help you reduce spending on your weekly food shop.
