Bananas and refrigeration: Extending freshness and flavor

Bananas now face strong competition from plenty of local seasonal fruits. However, we are accustomed to bananas as a year-round snack, so it's worth knowing how to store them. Should we put them in the refrigerator during such hot weather?

It's a simple trick, and thanks to it, bananas will stay fresh and firm for up to a week longer. This idea came from a cookbook author. It might surprise many of us because, until now, this place wasn’t recommended for storing bananas.

Of course, it’s about the refrigerator. Bananas were on the list of fruits and vegetables that should not be placed there as they lose their taste and aroma. Linda Tyler, renowned in the culinary world for her cookbooks and popular website Gracious Vegan, has a different opinion. She believes storing yellow bananas in the refrigerator can delay their ripening.

Linda Tyler noticed that bananas placed in the refrigerator right after losing their green tint retain firmness and taste for up to a week longer than those kept at room temperature.

However, it’s crucial to accurately assess the ripeness of the bananas. If the bananas are too green when placed in the refrigerator, it won’t yield good results. They simply won’t start to ripen at all. It all depends, of course, on what kind of bananas we prefer.

Choice and colour

• Green bananas are firm and not very sweet. They have the most starch and the least sugar, making them suitable for dieters and diabetics. Slightly green ones are tastier—they are sweeter and much easier to digest.
• Yellow bananas are considered fully ripe. They have no spots on the skin and are sweet. They contain carbohydrates and fibre. They quickly provide a feeling of fullness. Recommended for children, they are also beneficial after infections. Store them in a cool, dark place to slow the ripening process.
• Brown bananas: the darker the banana, the sweeter it is. The flesh becomes very soft and can be used as a sugar substitute, e.g., in cakes, smoothies, or pancakes. Such bananas are extremely easy to digest.

During summer, we buy a lot of different fruits. It’s important to remember that bananas don’t like company and it’s better not to place them in a fruit bowl with others, especially with apples and citrus fruits. This significantly accelerates their softening. Bananas, like many other fruits, produce ethylene, which helps them ripen. When surrounded by other ethylene-producing fruits, they will develop spots much quicker. Therefore, it's best to store bananas separately. You can even wrap their stems in plastic wrap to slow down ethylene production.