Bananas are a popular breakfast fruit, but can go bad quickly. There’s a simple way to keep your bananas fresh for longer using a common household item you probably already have at home
There’s nothing more maddening than watching the fresh fruit you’ve just splashed out on turn rotten before your very eyes without getting the chance to enjoy it. Bananas is a beloved breakfast staple for many – whether slathered on toast or stirred into porridge, they make for a great start to the morning.
However, their annoying habit of going off rapidly often puts people off purchasing them in bulk. Many discover their bananas begin developing spots and deteriorating within just 24 hours, resulting in not only squandered cash but also drawing irritating fruit flies throughout the warmer months. While there are plenty of ways to use up browning bananas, including banana bread or other delicious bakes, most people would simply rather their bananas remained fresh for an extended period.
One woman known online as ‘@sim_simmer__’ has turned to TikTok to reveal the ultimate life hack showing how one ordinary household item can help keep your bananas fresher for longer.
In the clip, she’s spotted slicing up a small rectangular section of kitchen foil, though she mentioned cling film works just as well. Ensuring the glossy side faces outward, she proceeds to wrap the banana stems tightly together.
“We’re doing this to keep the ethylene gas in the stem,” she explained, adding if it escapes into the banana, it will cause them to ripen and spoil more quickly.
What is ethylene in bananas?
Bananas naturally produce a plant hormone called ethylene that causes them to ripen by breaking down cell walls, converting starches to sugars, and making them softer and sweeter, according to BBC’s Science Focus. Because bananas release a high concentration of this gas, they can accelerate the ripening of other ethylene-sensitive fruits.
This is also why bananas are often stored separately from fruits like apples and pears, as the ethylene will also make these fruits go bad more quickly.
While it may appear attractive and be handy to keep all of your fresh fruits together in a fruit bowl, it’s advised to keep the bananas out and away from the bowl to stop the ethylene from spreading.
Most ethylene escapes from the stem, which is why it’s suggested to cover this with aluminium kitchen foil or cling film. This covering traps some gas at the source and slows the signal reaching the rest of the fruit.
Some also suggest getting a banana hook to specifically hang the bananas on in order to prevent them from getting any bruising from lying on your kitchen counter, as bruising also boosts the spread of ethylene in the fruit.
People were quick to share their amazement in the comment section of the video, with one viewer writing: “I wish I saw this like a week ago.”
One person also asked whether to store the bananas in the fridge or at room temperature after wrapping the stems, to which the creator recommended to keep them at room temperature.