Bananas are one of the most-wasted foods in the UK, with many people not eating them once they turn brown. But there are many ways to slow this process down and keep them fresh for at least two weeks
Countless bananas purchased from supermarkets arrive green, rapidly turning yellow once brought home. There’s typically just a day or two before brown spots appear, making the fruit amongst Britain’s most-wasted foods.
This occurs because many shoppers avoid eating them once they’ve browned, much like avocados. Fortunately, numerous methods exist to delay this process and maintain freshness for at least a fortnight.
This begins at the supermarket, choosing bananas that aren’t packaged in bags.
Whilst many retailers are shifting away from this packaging approach, those with perforations cause bananas to mature considerably faster.
Bananas, alongside numerous other fruits, produce a gas known as ethylene, which accelerates their ripening, reports the Express.
When stored in plastic packaging, this gas accelerates ripening further, resulting in brown patches within 24-48 hours.
A food hygiene specialist from High Speed Training advises against storing the fruit in bowls.
Rather, bananas ought to be kept on worktops, preferably at ambient temperature and protected from moisture, direct sunlight or heat.
The specialist explained: “Anywhere too warm will speed up the ripening process, so avoid keeping them near ovens or warm appliances.”
Separating individual fruits from the cluster can also help maintain their “prime freshness” for extended periods.
The expert explained: “The ethylene gas is released from the stem of the banana, so to slow the impact of the gas and avoid the over-ripening too quickly, you can also wrap the stems in a plastic wrap or cling film.
“This reduces the amount of gas that will be able to travel down the fruit and therefore allows them to stay fresher for longer.”
If this appears too much of a faff, choose a banana tree instead to help keep the fruit surrounded by air.
Many people will also pop them in the fridge once they have reached their peak ripeness.
These bananas could last up to “two weeks”.
But, don’t be deterred by any brown or over-ripe bananas as the inside will be perfectly fine.