regain out if the fridge is a ally or a foeman of this pop fruit .
Getty Images / Luc TEBOUL
Unless you ’re snagging one of the famous 23 - centime bananas from the garden truck surgical incision atTrader Joe’sto nosh on during your commute home from the food market store , luck are high that when you grease one’s palms bananas , you do so by the bunch .
Credit:Getty Images / Luc TEBOUL
When you bring them abode , do you know how to hive away bananas until you put them to good employment inbanana bread , afruit smoothie , abanana dessertlike “ courteous ” pick or hummingbird cake , or to snack on at a later appointment ? It sound like a simple conception to get over how to put in banana tree . Just place them on the counter , right ? But there ’s actually a lot more to it if you want tokeep your yield freshfor as long as potential .
How to Store Bananas to Keep Them Fresh For Up to a Week
The best manner to store banana when you bring them home is in a cool , dark part of your kitchen or buttery on a holder with a hook , if possible . Otherwise , keep them on the rejoinder or a shelf , being careful not to ruin or utilise too much pressure to the fruit . If you buy bananas in a bag , off them from that before storing .
“ attend the bananas lowers the potential difference for bruising , which can easily happen when bananas are lie in on top of each other , ” explain Dana Peters , a Barney , Georgia - based produce and floral field inspector at Whole Foods Market .
Unlikepineapples , which do n’t mature any further after being picked , bananas do mature ; shifting from green to yellow to brown - speckled to embrown . Since heating will speed up the ripen process , keep bananas away from verbatim sun or the cooking stove — unless you want them to mature faster . Once banana have reach out the ripeness stage you like , transmit them to the refrigerator .
“ infrigidation temperatures of 40 ° F or below halts the ripen process in bananas , so only store them in a chilled environs once they have reach the ripeness you desire , ” says Sarah Brekke , M.S.,Better Homes & GardensTest Kitchen brand manager . “ Refrigerated bananas may go through some blackening of the skins but this should not sham the mouthful or texture of the banana once pare . ”
At way temp , depending on how right your banana tree were when you purchased them , banana tree typically last about 2 to 6 days . refrigerate the banana once ripe normally buy you another 1 to 2 day , Peters and Brekke agree .
Bakers can confirm that the unspoiled bananas for banana bread are very brown . ( Psst … you may actually “ cut up ” overripe bananas by roasting the unpeeled fruit on a sheet cooking pan in a 350 ° F oven for 15 minutes . OurRoasted Banana Breadwill coach you through this sluttish trick ! ) But since bananas naturally chocolate-brown and are safe to eat on at that stagecoach , how do you live when bananas are defective — not just brownish ?
Look for the following sign of spoil , agree to Brekke and Peters :
3 Common Banana Storage Mistakes to Avoid
Now that you know how to stash away banana , we want to empty the gentle wind about a few common repositing mistake that are n’t obvious but are oh - so important to have the better chances of enjoy your fresh yield .
Mistake 1: Not washing them.
Do n’t palpate alone or embarrassed if you have n’t been moisten your banana tree ; many of our faculty members were n’t either until earlier this yr until we learned thetwo reasons why you should always rinse bananasright after bringing them home from the store . Turns out , washing bananas helpsprevent yield fliesandrinses away any possible germs and stain on the peel . Just be sure to dry out them exhaustively after washing , since extra wet can speed up spoilage , then follow the direction for how to store bananas above .
Mistake 2: Storing them near ethylene enemies.
There are certainfruits and vegetables you should never store togetherdue to the fact that some give off the natural gas ethylene that accelerates the ripening process for their ethylene - sensitive produce peers . Since banana tree fall are both ethene - emitters and ethylene - tender , it ’s good to store them alone rather than near other fruit .
“ This gas roleplay like a internal secretion in the fruit , bespeak an increase rate of the ripening summons . It ’s best to store bananas alone and in an area with adequate atmosphere circulation so that you’re able to maximize the lifespan of the fruit . Aim for at least 8 to 12 inches of legal separation from other ethene manufacturer , ” Brekke says .
While a foot or so works finely , Peters choose to salt away his bananas at the polar last of the kitchen counter from otherroom temperature fruit and veggiesliketomatoes .
Mistake 3: Forgetting that you can hit “fast-forward” on ripening.
All that being said , storing bananas near ethylene - producing fruit like apples , tomatoes , and peaches can be idealistic if you need to speed up the ripening cognitive process . Another way to do just that ?
“ Here ’s a Test Kitchen hack : If you find yourself need to get your banana good in speedy manner , we advocate place them in a newspaper bag with the top folded down , ” Brekke says .
Since banana tree produce ethylene , it will be give off into the environment of the bag , which will contain it near the fruit to insure it ’s exposed to the accelerator .
How to Freeze Bananas
If a week is n’t enough time to make the most of all of your banana , if you love you buy them , or if you have your hope set on a frozen banana recipe when you convey them home , we have large news : yes , you’re able to freeze bananas . Only do so once the fruit is full good , though , Peters suggest , as freeze ( like refrigerating ) puts a hitch to the ripening process .
Feel devoid to banana whole , chopped , or romance . Here ’s how to freeze out bananas via our Test Kitchen ’s preferred method :
Can you freeze down bananas in their peels ? Our Test Kitchen has put this scheme through the paces , and Brekke confirms that the skin become completely dark during the freeze process and the banana need to be thawed before using .
“ Once thawed , the bananas are mushy , so the best thing to do is to crush the fruit out of the skins and into a bowl for measuring . This works for recipe such as banana dough , but is n’t idealistic for anything where some texture is require , ” Brekke order , such as Ina Garten’sBanana Rum Trifleor our 5 - starBanoffee Pie .
