A mum has shared a “special” food storage method to keep bananas yellow for much longer, and conducted an experiment to prove it – and you can do it for free at home
Bananas are notorious for ripening at an alarmingly fast pace, often turning spotty, mushy and brown before you’ve had a chance to enjoy them. However, according to Mike, a culinary expert from Kitchen Tips Online, there’s a “special” food storage method that can keep bananas yellow for a significantly longer period.
To prove his point, he conducted an experiment which he shared in an online video. In the clip, Mike presents two batches of bananas – one with brown, rotting skin, and another perfectly yellow batch.
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He explained: “These bananas were purchased from the same grocery store on the same day, next to each other on the shelf. Both sets of bananas are over 10 days old, but we stored [the yellow] bananas in a special way.”
The secret to keeping bananas fresh lies in absorbing ethylene gas, a growth hormone that accelerates the ripening process in bananas. This gas is produced in the banana stem and then spreads to the rest of the fruit to ripen it.
However, it’s not exclusive to bananas; many other fruits like apples, oranges, and avocados also produce this gas. When bananas are kept in a fruit bowl, the gases can cause the fruit to spoil much faster, turning brown prematurely, reports the Express.
Mike concluded: “If you can control ethylene gas, you can control when the bananas ripen. And I thought ‘Hey, if we can control ethylene gas, maybe we can extend the lives of our bananas’.”
To maintain the freshness and yellow hue of his bananas, Mike opts to store them separately from other fruits in a container, along with Blue Apple Produce Savers. These handy devices, which absorb ethylene gas, are available on Amazon.
They can help keep Mike’s bananas fresh and yellow for an additional 15 days beyond their usual lifespan. However, if you’re looking to save some cash, there’s another method to prolong the freshness of your bananas.
Simply separate the bananas from their stems and wrap them in cling film. This technique prevents the release of ethylene gas from the stems, helping bananas stay fresh for up to 10 extra days.
Once you’ve halted the ethylene gas release, store your bananas in a mild, cool spot in your kitchen. Avoid extreme temperatures as they can cause the bananas to spoil faster.
The fridge, contrary to popular belief, is one of the worst places to store bananas. As tropical fruits, bananas aren’t accustomed to freezing cold temperatures, and refrigeration can cause their skin to blacken and rot.
By storing bananas separately from other fruits and preventing the production of ethylene gas, you can significantly extend their shelf life, reducing food waste and saving money on your grocery bills.
