Bananas are a versatile fruit but when they turn black and mushy within a few days of buying them, it can be incredibly frustrating. Tesco issues advice to shoppers to keep them fresher for longer
Bananas, those tricky fruits that seem to go from perfect to overripe in the blink of an eye. But fear not, Tesco has come through with some top tips for keeping your bananas fresher for longer, so you can enjoy them as a healthy snack without feeling like you are throwing money away.
The supermarket giant suggests that to extend the life of your bananas, it’s crucial to “store the [fruit] right” at all times. A spokesperson from Tesco explained: “Store bananas on their own as the gases they produce will cause other fruit to ripen and spoil more quickly.”
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They also advised against refrigeration, warning: “Keep them at room temperature as refrigerating will make the skin turn black, and the bananas will transfer their smell to the rest of the fridge’s contents.”
As bananas ripen, they soften and sweeten due to the starch converting into sugar. While unripe green bananas might not be great raw, they’re still useful for cooking.
You might not have given much thought to banana storage before, but getting it right means less waste and fewer trips to the shop – good news for your wallet.
Echoing this sentiment, food hygiene expert Tash Blythe said that bananas should avoid the fruit bowl and instead take pride of place on your countertop.
The key to keeping bananas at their best is to store them “somewhere at room temperature and away from any moisture, sunlight and overly warm temperatures whilst ripening”. This is crucial because “anywhere too warm will speed up the ripening process, so avoid keeping them near ovens or warm appliances”.
Cling film can also be a saviour for your bananas. Simply wrap the film around the banana stems to extend their freshness. If you’re on the hunt for other tricks, take a leaf out of @that40yearguy’s book.
He decided to test a banana hack by dunking the stalks of one bunch in water for a week, alongside another bunch left untouched.
He explained: “I’ve never done a week-long test, we’re going to try this banana hack to see if they stay fresh for longer.
“I’m going to put three bananas in the water [stalk down] and I’m going to leave the other three sitting there. We’ll come back in a week or so and see what they look like.”
When Dustin checked back after 12 days, he was amazed to see that the water-immersed bananas were significantly fresher than their counterparts. Although spotty from ripening, the submerged bananas remained robust and firm.
