Bananas will be firm and ripe for up to 2 weeks when stored in 1 kitchen location
Bananas are one of the most-wasted foods in the UK, as they often turn brown within a day or two of being brought home from the supermarket.
Numerous bananas available in supermarkets are green, becoming yellow remarkably quickly once brought home. There's frequently just a day or two before they develop brown spots, rendering the fruit amongst the most-wasted foods in Britain.
This occurs because many shoppers tend to avoid eating them once they turn brown, much like avocados. Fortunately, there are multiple methods to decelerate this process and maintain their freshness for at least two weeks. This begins in the supermarket, choosing bananas which aren't packaged in a bag.
While many supermarkets are transitioning away from this packaging approach, the ones with perforations cause bananas to ripen considerably faster.
Bananas, similar to numerous other fruits, produce a gas called ethylene, which causes them to ripen rapidly.
If stored in a plastic bag, this gas will accelerate their ripening even more, resulting in brown spots within a day or two.
According to a food hygiene specialist at High Speed Training, the fruit shouldn't be stored in a bowl either.
Rather, bananas ought to be kept on a worktop, preferably somewhere at room temperature and distant from any moisture, sunlight or elevated temperatures.
The specialist said: "Anywhere too warm will speed up the ripening process, so avoid keeping them near ovens or warm appliances."
Storing the fruit individually from the bunch can also help them stay at their "prime freshness" for considerably longer. The expert explained: "The ethylene gas is released from the stem of the banana, so to slow the impact of the gas and avoid the over-ripening too quickly, you can also wrap the stems in a plastic wrap or cling film.
"This reduces the amount of gas that will be able to travel down the fruit and therefore allows them to stay fresher for longer."
For those who find this too time-consuming, a banana tree holder is a worthwhile alternative, keeping the fruit well-ventilated on all sides.
Many households also choose to refrigerate their bananas once they have reached their optimum ripeness.
Stored this way, bananas could remain fresh for up to "two weeks". And don't be deterred by any brown or overly ripe specimens, as the flesh inside will remain perfectly edible.
