Everyone loves bananas, it is sweet and very rich in vitamins and potassium. Bananas are a snack that can be taken irrespective of what time of the day it is. What you need to do is always try to have them around and you will not worry about getting it over-ripe on the counter.
The question here is whether or not bananas can be refrigerated. Ripe bananas can be refrigerated for them to remain fresh for a very long time, however, placing unripe bananas inside the fridge will stop them from ripening up and result in the peels turning black.
Bananas that have begun to turn brown will become mush faster if you place them inside the refrigerator. The best thing to do is to put your ripe bananas (still yellow) inside the refrigerator for about two weeks. There are, however, some products that will allow the bananas to remain fresher for a longer time.
Refrigerating Bananas
There will always be a case of excess bananas and you will usually wonder how you want to use all of them. The truth is that if you don’t keep them properly, they will turn mushy and keep it on a counter might not help and that is why you need to put them inside the refrigerator.
How to Store Bananas in the Fridge
Bananas usually need warmth before they can ripe because it is grown tropically and putting them inside the fridge will slow the process of ripening. The peel can become brown and have spots but the main fruit will remain the same just as when you placed them there and this will prolong their lifespan for another one or two weeks.
One important factor you should take note is that before you place your bananas inside the refrigerator, you should wait until the bananas have become perfectly ripe. They will remain green if you place them inside the refrigerator before they become ripe turning the skin to black but the fruit will remain unripe.
All you have to do is to put them inside the fruits drawer in your fridge ensuring that the peel remains intact. If you are trying to store other kinds of fruit with your bananas or you are frequently opening your drawer, try and use plastic wrap to wrap their stems because bananas usually lend their flavor and smell out to other things such as desserts and bread within the fridge.
Ensure you store all other foods properly in plastic wrap or airtight containers if you are going to store your bananas inside the fridge and ensure the bananas are treated gently because they are very delicate fruits that can bruise easily.
The Best Ways to Keep Bananas Fresh
When you wrap banana stems inside the plastic wrap to prevent their gas from getting to other fruits, then you are following the popular method to store your bananas longer. It is a more convenient and efficient method if the bananas are separated and wrapped individually.
You may also hang the bananas away from direct sunlight on the banana tree to prevent their bottoms from becoming bruise and also allowing an even airflow. When you want your bananas to become ripen quickly, store them inside your open paper bag together with some other fruits that have already become ripen.
The Best Banana Storage Containers
Check below for some of the best banana storage containers:
- Fruit & Vegetable Fridge GreenBags
Fruits usually give off a gas that accelerates the process of ripening after they get cut from the tree and this will allow the bananas to turn mush from green overnight. You will have to take care of the leaking of gas before it turns into a problem and that is why you have the Fridge GreenBags that will help you to store a bunch together whether inside the fridge or on your counter.
Key Features:
- Durable, perfect for traveling as lunch bags or pack snacks.
- USA-made, BPA-free
- Reusable; wash it, dry it, and use it again.
- It has natural minerals that help to remove the gas created by the fruit to prevent over-ripening.
Biggest Drawback: It could occasionally accumulate moisture but it can easily be fixed by putting paper towels in the bag before placing the products.
- Joie Monkey Banana Storage Pod: This is a storage container that has been specially designed against bruises. Its bottom has a yellow color that is very useful.
Key Features:
- The top-rack is safe in the dishwasher and easy for cleaning.
- BPA-free and FDA-approved plastic.
- It can accommodate big bananas as it is larger than almost all banana holders.
Biggest Drawback: Its drawback is minor and it is that a banana with a significant curve may not fit it because the pods have been designed for standard-shaped bananas and not the half-circle ones.
How Do Supermarkets Keep Bananas Fresh?
Bananas are always fresh in supermarkets because of two reasons:
- They are usually harvested when still green. Ethylene gas is then used on them to add to the ones released naturally so that they will produce the yellow color. They are then placed away from avocados, apples, and tomatoes to ensure they do not over-ripe on the counter because these sets of fruits naturally emit similar gas.
- You can consider banana as the number one selling fruit all over the world and it means they will be constantly sold. Bananas that have become brown are also moved away from those that are still yellow immediately the brown color is detected.
How to Keep Bananas from Ripening
You may be one of those who prefer bananas staying green because they are less sweet and firmer. Check out below how you can keep it from ripening:
- First, peel and proceed to slice the banana and coat them lightly in vinegar or lemon juice and then store them inside a zip bag or air-tight container inside the refrigerator. You need to be careful of the method because too much vinegar or lemon will tart the banana.
How to Keep Bananas from Turning Brown
If you want to delay your bananas from becoming brown, put them with hard green, unripe avocados in the same glass bowl. The gas being put off by the bananas will be shared with your avocados which will help ripen the avocados and slows down the brown effect of the bananas.
You can also prevent it by using plastic wrap to wrap each banana stem and placing inside other green fruits and then stored in a bowl or paper bag on a table or the counter.
Related Questions
Can you refrigerate avocados?
Just like bananas, avocadoes also become ripe overnight and you can store your avocados inside the fridge but you need to get your timing right. Drastically refrigerating them will slow the process of ripening. Your avocadoes become non-edible if you refrigerate them before it is ripe.
On the other hand, if avocadoes are placed inside the refrigerator when it begins to become mushy, it will stay mushy but it could increase the speed at which other produce placed in the fridge becomes ripen. Once the avocadoes become exactly as you want, you should either refrigerate them or eat them immediately.
How do you prevent fruit flies?
Counter fruits usually harbor fruit flies and there are times that fruits taken home already have their eggs in it. If you want to avoid them from getting their eggs hatched, endeavor to wash them outside before you take them into your home.
Ensure that the entire fruit has become completely dry before you store it. You could also store the fruit inside the toaster oven, microwave, or oven to prevent fruit flies from coming upon them. Remember to remove the bananas before you turn the heat on.
Should banana bread be refrigerated?
This is a delicious, soft, and moist treat for people and you can store it by wrapping it lightly on a counter for some days. If you are unable to eat your loaf within 2 days, store them inside the refrigerator because bananas exhibit moistures and lead the banana bread to grow mold faster as compared to the regular bread that can stay at room temperature. Proceed to use plastic wrap to wrap the banana loaf or tightly secure it inside another bread bag.
You can keep banana bread inside the fridge for up to one or more weeks but they have to be kept wrapped at all times to prevent them from sharing their flavor with some other foods.
Can You Put Bananas in the Freezer?
In case the bananas become mushy or over-ripe, freeze them. All you have to do is to place them inside the freezer just like that including the peel but it could become annoying when you want to thaw them. They could become a slimy mess and you will get mash everywhere when you peel.
To prevent this from happening, what you need to do is to peel the bananas and wrap them individually before proceeding to place them inside your freezer. You may also slice the bananas to bite-sized chunks and then spread them on your baking sheet to get the pieces frozen individually.
After being solidly frozen, you may transfer them into a freezable air-tight container and there won’t be any clumping together. The bananas can also be mashed before freezing and this will make sense for baking or smoothies.
