Keep Ripe Bananas Fresh For Longer With This Storage Tip

Ring, ring, ring, the banana phone is calling, and most of us are gladly answering. Almost everyone loves bananas — they're one of the most widely consumed fruits in America. But how do you make sure that your banana is fresh, deliciously yellow, and doesn't disintegrate into brown mush?

Avery Zenker, a registered dietitian at MyHealthTeam, explained to Food Republic that the key is refrigerating your bananas once they are ripe. "Banana ripening is controlled by ethylene gas produced by the bananas, which activates enzymes that break down starch into sugars, soften the fruit, turn green into yellow, and develop its aromatic compounds that give banana its signature scent," she told us. "Enzymes work best at certain temperatures, and [bananas'] enzymes prefer warmer temperatures," she later added. Refrigerating essentially stops the fruits' enzymes from working and halts the ripening process in its tracks, keeping them fresher for longer. 

Conversely, if you need to ripen some green bananas faster, say for a banana caramel pudding parfait you want to serve up tomorrow, you can put them somewhere a bit warm to speed up the ethylene action. If you want to hit double speed, put the bananas in a brown paper bag with some other fruit that is already ripe and emitting ethylene gasses, like avocado, pears or apples.

Knowing the right moment to refrigerate bananas can make the difference between that gross chalky feeling and banana perfection. So, how do you know when it's time? "Ideally, the banana has no more green and has turned fully yellow," advised Zenker. "It may have a few brown speckles. At that point, the conversion of starch to sugar is well underway, the flavor has developed, and refrigeration will lock it there." Though Zenker did note that some people prefer a few spots, and the question of when to refrigerate is also a bit based on individual taste. 

Zenker also noted that the fridge "slows the ongoing enzymatic activity, keeping the sweetness and softness stable for longer, even if the peel continues to darken." So though a banana in the fridge may look overripe after a few days, don't let your eyes deceive you — chances are on the inside, it's actually that perfect, ready-to-eat yellow. And even if you miss the sweet spot of perfect ripeness and your bananas get brown on you before you manage to cool their jets, there's no need to worry. Overripe bananas with their sticky consistency and extra sugar are perfect for baking. 

A classic banana bread recipe always calls for ripe bananas, and it's a great way to transform that blackened fruit into a moist, flavorful loaf. Even a simplified three-ingredient banana bread calls for ripe bananas mixed with a few eggs and a box of yellow cake mix. Or try a banana and chocolate brownie, mixing in your spotted bananas with chocolate and some flour. The fruits are also great for a sweet kick in pancakes or a dense coffee bread.