Bananas are tempermental fruits. They break easily, bruise easily, and rot easily. They seem to spend a lot of time being green before turning brown. The yellow stage is often a “don’t blink or you’ll miss it” situation. However, it’s possible to prevent bananas from becoming overripe too quickly. It all depends on where you store them, and more importantly, where you shouldn’t store them.
Avoid the Fruit Bowl
Banana hangers help prevent the fruit from bruising and accidentally breaking. It also comes with another important perk: It keeps them away from other fruits.
Bananas do not belong in the communal fruit bowl since other fruits release ethylene gas as they ripen. This makes the fruits ripen even faster. The worst offenders include apples, tomatoes, peaches, avocados, and figs. So even if you don’t use a hanger, store them away from other types of produce.
Wrap the Banana Stems
Fortunately, there are more ways to keep bananas fresh and yellow. When you come home from the grocery store, wrap the stem of the bunch in plastic wrap. If they already have plastic on the crown, leave it there. Like the other fruits, bananas release ethylene gas as they ripen and much of it releases through the stems. “Wrapping slows down the gas,” said Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN, to Today. “For even better results, pull the bananas apart and wrap each top separately.”
Read More: Ways Your Kitchen Sponge Could Be Slowly Killing You
Break the Bunch
In fact, bananas last longer when separated from the bunch. “You might think that the best thing to do when buying bananas is to keep them attached, grabbing one at a time when you plan to eat the banana or using it in a recipe,” said Linda Loosli, an expert from Food Storage Moms, to the Mirror. “However, this isn’t the case.”
Put Them in the Fridge
You may be surprised to hear that bananas can be stored in the fridge. But cooler temperatures can slow down the ripening, as it does with other fruits. However, most people avoid putting bananas there since the cold makes the peel turn brown or black. Despite looking unpleasant, the fruit inside the peel is unaffected and should maintain a pleasant flavor and texture.
However, they are fully ripe first. “The cold temperatures will keep them from ripening at all, or in the time you want to use them,” Loosli explained, “If they don’t ripen some, it’s difficult for you to use the bananas because they’ll lack that sweet taste that you love and enjoy when eating them.”
Read More: The 4-Inch Kitchen Space You Keep Neglecting but Should Really Use for Storage
Keep Out of Fruit Salad
You may have noticed that bananas rarely appear in pre-made fruit salads. This is because they release more ethylene when they are cut up, which can make other ingredients rot faster.
“This gas causes ripening, or softening of fruit by the breakdown of cell walls, conversion of starches to sugars and the disappearance of acids,” said Dr. Dan Bebber of the University of Exeter to BBC. “Some fruits, like oranges, don’t respond to ethene [ethylene], but there are many processes in plants that respond to ethene [ethylene] as a signal.”
How to Keep Peeled Bananas Fresh
Although store-bought fruit cups may not include bananas, you can still add them to homemade fruit salad. Just like with apples, you can add lemon or lime juice to sliced bananas to slow down the oxidation process and preserve the freshness. Alternatively, you can use another citrus juice, such as orange or grapefruit, pineapple juice, or even diluted vinegar. If you want to preserve a peeled banana that isn’t chopped, brush the top with the juice. Keep in mind that citrus will make them taste more tart.
When in Doubt, Freeze The Bananas
Don’t trash overripe bananas. They can be perfect for recipes like bread or muffins. If you don’t have time to bake, freeze them for a future recipe. When it’s time, just thaw the amount you need on the counter. Alternatively, you can blend frozen bananas into smoothies or dip them into chocolate for a dessert.
Other Foods That Shouldn’t Be Stored Together
Bananas and apples aren’t the only foods that can negatively impact each other. “In general, don’t store ethylene-sensitive fruits or vegetables with fruits or vegetables that produce a high amount of ethylene gasses,” said John Adler, the vice president of culinary at Blue Apron, to Martha Stewart. “Probably the best example of this is storing onions with apples—you will end up with onion-scented apples!—and more commonly, onions with potatoes. Storing onions and potatoes together will hasten the ripening process on the potatoes, leading them to grow eyes and sometimes roots.”
Other bad combinations, whether due to odor-absorbing or ethylene-emissions, include avocados and cucumbers, mushrooms and scallions, and bell peppers and fresh herbs.