Britons chucking out bananas after they turn mushy and brown immediately post-purchase could be a thing of the past, thanks to a nifty food storage hack.
Camilla, the culinary whizz behind Fabfood4all.co.uk, has debunked a common myth about banana storage in our kitchens with a revelation that’s taking TikTok by storm.
She claims that contrary to popular belief, bananas can indeed be kept chilled to maintain their freshness.
In her TikTok clip, Camilla admits: “It appears I may have been living a lie my entire life. I was always told that you can’t keep bananas in the fridge because they go black.”
Her curiosity was piqued by her daughter’s uni mates, who all store their bananas in the fridge, Camilla decided to test it out herself.
She said: “Last week my daughter told me that all her university mates keep their bananas in the fridge so I kept these bananas in the fridge for four whole days once they [went] ripe.
“Normally by now they’d be completely black and covered in spots, so I’m going to open a banana to see if it’s true, can you keep a banana in the fridge without it going black.”
The result? A perfectly ripe banana, much to Camilla’s surprise. She exclaimed: “You learn something new every day.”
In a follow-up comment, she confirmed that refrigeration “definitely extends their life” and expressed her astonishment: “I can’t tell you how shocked I am.”
So, it turns out that the chilly confines of your fridge might just be the ideal spot to keep those bananas yellow and ready to eat for longer.
Banana peels will remain yellow if stored in the fridge for a few days, but will eventually turn black with longer storage, yet they’ll still be edible.
The fruit inside the black peel will stay yellow, fresh and firm. They’ll still be good to eat for about two weeks after purchase.
Only store ripe, yellow bananas in the fridge as green bananas won’t ripen in the cold.
Storing bananas in the fridge is generally better than keeping them in a fruit bowl because most fruits produce a growth hormone called ethylene gas, which can speed up spoilage when fruits are stored together.
Keeping bananas in the fridge separates them from other fruits, extending their lifespan.
However, if you’re short on fridge space, try wrapping the stems in clingfilm. This can prevent the spread of ethylene gas and keep bananas fresher for longer.
