Bananas are a fruit bowl staple but they can turn brown rapidly, meaning they often end up in the bin. However, there is a simple storage hack which has been shared online multiple times. You don’t need to buy any fancy storage devices or containers as the solution is likely already tucked away in your kitchen drawer.
Mum, parenting creator and comedian Sarah, who shares videos on her TikTok page @momthoughts, explained that she uses the hack when packing her children’s packed lunches to encourage them to eat their bananas as they are often put off by fruit which has turned brown.
“While I’m not an expert at much, I do know these things,” she said. “You know how sometimes you send a decent banana to school but it comes home looking like it got into a bar fight?
” That’s because bananas release ethylene gas which hastens the ripening process and most of it is released through the stem.
“All you have to do is get a little piece of tin foil, wrap the stem and voila.”
The tip has also been shared on Reddit by users looking for ways to keep their bananas fresh for longer. Posting to Reddit forum r/eatcheapandhealthy, one user said: “I saw a trick online where you put a bit of plastic wrap at the point where they connect.
“It helps make bananas last longer. Any bananas that turn super brown, just make smoothies, banana bread, and pancakes with them. No need to waste and toss them out.” [SIC]
They continued: “According to a quick Google search, wrapping it in plastic wrap or aluminium foil reduces the release of ethylene gas. The more ethylene gas it releases, the faster it browns.” [SIC]
All you need to do is cover the stem ends of each banana with plastic wrap or aluminium foil to reduce the release of ethylene gas.
Bananas release high amounts of ethylene gas, which accelerates the process of browning, so slowing this process will help to keep your bananas yellow and fresh for longer.
The gas is released primarily from the stem (or “crown”) of the bunch where it was severed from the banana plant. As the gas travels from the stem, it ventures down to the exterior of the bananas, which encourages the ripening of the skin – changing it from green to yellow to brown.
The process can happen faster if bananas are left in a bunch in your fruit bowl.
You can wrap the joint stem of an entire bunch of bananas to try and keep all of them fresh for longer, however, there is some anecdotal evidence to suggest that separating your bananas could keep them fresh for longer although you will need to wrap each stem individually.
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