How to Keep Green Bananas From Ripening ? | Unrivaled Guide 2022

A green banana is a living system that releases ethylene and ripens gradually over time, resulting in changes in color, smell, texture, and flavor. The problem is that even green bananas found at home ripen so quickly that they often turn brown before you can eat them.

The natural question is how to prevent bananas from ripening too fast and spoiling; in other words, how to slow down the ripening of bananas. You can also find out whether bananas ripen faster in clusters or separately and what is the best way to prevent bananas from ripening too quickly.

How to Keep Green Bananas From Ripening?

7 simple ways to prevent green bananas from ripening

There are several ways to slow the ripening of green bananas and increase their shelf life by up to several months. Here are a few.

1. Wrap the banana stems in foil or plastic

Sometimes when you buy bananas at the store, you may notice a wrapper on the crown. It prevents the release of ethylene gas from the bananas. Even at home, you should continue to store them under the same conditions.

You can also choose to improve the process. How can this be done? On top of the film or plastic, cover it with tape to tighten it. This will slow down the ripening process of the bananas. Each time you harvest one or more bananas for cooking, remember to repeat the process.

2. Keep bananas away from other fruits

Most fruits that release ethylene gas during ripening tend to ripen faster when stored together with other fruits. For this reason, it is good to keep bananas away from other fruits. In this case, opt for a separate banana hanger. This will protect the bananas from bruising.

What should I do if I don’t have a banana hanger? Get a separate basket for green bananas. Also be sure to hang the basket, as this is the best way to store the bananas.

3. Use banana bunkers

Another trick to slow the ripening of bananas is to use a banana bunker. These are hard plastic containers that prevent green bananas from ripening prematurely. They are available in a variety of colors.

A banana bunker usually has very small openings for ventilation, which allow the green bananas to be stored for a long time. They also protect the bananas from bruising during storage.

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4. Split bananas

Do you want your bananas to keep longer? If so, split them separately from the bunch. Gently cut each banana with part of the stem.

This makes it easier to pack each banana individually than the whole bunch. Green bananas will take longer to ripen. Also, it is good to arrange them in a tray leaving some space between each one to decrease the speed of ripening.

5. Vinegar bath on green bananas

For this particular method, you need to divide the banana into portions. Also, dilute the vinegar with water to reduce its acidic effect.

Then simply soak the banana portions in the solution before storing them. This will prevent the green bananas from ripening too quickly. When you want to eat them, rinse the bananas with clean water. Continuous rinsing eliminates the sour taste of bananas.

6. Store in the freezer

Here is another tip for slowing the ripening of bananas for a month or more. Use a freezer, not a refrigerator. Place green bananas in freezer bags.

Freezing will keep the green bananas fresh for a few weeks. To consume them, remove them from the freezer and thaw them at room temperature, then mash them to eat.

7. Use a lime bath

You can further increase the shelf life of the banana even when it is peeled. Use a lime bath from any acidic fruit juice such as lemon, pineapple or orange. This method works best with peeled bananas.

Sprinkle small amounts of the solution evenly over the peeled bananas. You can also soak the bananas for about 2 minutes. You can rinse them later with clean water when you are ready to eat them.

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Do’s:

Keep them cool and out of the light: bananas should be stored at about 12°C (54°F), as they ripen faster if they are too hot. A darker room without direct sunlight is ideal. A hot kitchen is not the best place for bananas.

Refrigerate them: if you want to store your bananas properly, you can certainly store them in the refrigerator. However, they must be ripe when you put them in, as they will not ripen further in a cool environment. It doesn’t matter if the peel turns brown because of the cold, it won’t affect the flavor.

Use the juice trick: once cut and exposed to the air, the banana quickly turns brown. If you want to keep banana slices fresh, drizzle them with a little lemon or pineapple juice-it is especially delicious in fruit salads. If the fruit slices are also well packaged and stored in a cool place, they will keep appetizing longer.

Don’t:

Wrap completely in plastic: never store a whole banana in a plastic bag. These morsels rot very quickly in a hot, humid environment and are inedible.

Store it next to other fruits: be careful not to get too close! Apples, avocados, etc. contribute (sometimes inadvertently) to the ripening process: this is something you must not do if you want to keep your bananas fresh longer.

Apply pressure: if you want to keep bananas fresh, you can leave the skin of the fruit on. Hanging them, on the other hand, will prevent brown bruising.

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Different Variable Effects on Ripening Green Bananas

Effect of temperature on banana ripening

The shelf life of bananas increases when the outside temperature decreases. A reduction of 1°C increases the shelf life by 1-2 days. However, fruits suffer cold damage at temperatures below 11°C. The optimal storage temperature for bananas is 13-14°C, at which ripe and unripe fruits will keep for 1-2 weeks.

Other research has shown that the best quality of long ripening bananas (20 cm) should be stored at 18°C and that the relative humidity during ripening should be 80-85%.

Effect of humidity on banana ripening

Research has shown that low humidity (60-65%) accelerates banana ripening and produces ripe fruit of poor quality, while high humidity produces fruit with good flavor. High humidity delays the ripening of bananas, increasing their shelf life. Optimal moisture conditions for ripening bananas are 90-95% relative humidity.

Effect of bruising on banana ripening

Have you noticed that the side of the banana that is on the table has ripened more than the other parts. This is because this side is in greater contact with its own ethylene.

Making dents or holes in the banana accelerates the ripening process because it exposes it to air, which speeds up the ripening process. For this reason, I always place the bananas on the counter, face down (tips down), with the tips supporting the weight of the bananas to prevent bruising.

There are products on the market specifically for storing bananas in the hanging position to prevent premature ripening.

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Effect of packaging on banana ripening

The speed of ripening is influenced by the environment. Therefore, proper packaging can help prevent bananas from ripening quickly. Perform the following experiment to see if packaging really prevents bananas from ripening.

Take 3 equally green bananas and store them as follows:

• Place one banana in a paper bag. The paper bag is porous to let in some oxygen and at the same time contains the ethylene released by the banana inside.
• Place the second banana in a plastic bag. The plastic bag does not let air in from the outside, but it already contains some air.
• Wrap the third banana in a tightly closed plastic bag. The tightly wrapped banana in the plastic does not contain air.

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Tips to prevent bananas from ripening too quickly

• Choose fully ripe yellow bananas to eat right away, to blend, to cook, or to use in banana puree recipes.
• Do not store unripe bananas together with ripe fruit.
• Protect bananas from heat and direct sunlight. At higher temperatures, bananas ripen faster.
• Store ripe bananas together with unripe fruit such as avocados. This will slow the ripening of the banana; the banana’s ethylene will be absorbed by the avocado.
• If the bananas are dark green in color, you can keep them on the counter at room temperature until they are ripe. When they turn yellow or brown, put them in a box or sealed bag to prevent them from ripening too quickly.
• Buy bananas that are not ripe enough. I buy 4-5 green bananas, 4-5 slightly yellow bananas and 3-4 completely yellow bananas. I can use them without spoiling them.
• Store the bananas in a place in the house with a lower temperature, such as the basement.

How to Keep Green Bananas From Ripening | Video Explanation

FAQs

How To Store bananas in the freezer?

Peeled or mashed bananas keep well when frozen; they can be stored for 2 to 3 months in the freezer. To freeze them, peel the bananas, put them in a plastic bag, and place them in the freezer. When you want to use the bananas, remove them from the freezer and leave them at room temperature for a while so that they thaw.

The average shelf life of a market banana is given below:

• Kitchen counter: 2-6 days for an unripe banana with the peel on.
• Refrigerator: 5-8 days for a ripe banana with peel.
• Freezer: 2-3 months for a ripe banana with peel.

How to store half a banana?

Cut the whole banana in half before peeling it. Wrap the cut end in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. The banana will keep well for a day or two, although the peel may turn dark.

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Conclusion

Knowing how to prevent bananas from ripening is essential for those who buy them in large quantities. However, this process is affected by several factors that are essential to speed up or slow down the ripening process of green bananas.