🍌 Bananas Can Last Longer With One Simple Kitchen Item—But There’s a Catch
If your bananas seem to go from green to overripe in just a few days, a simple storage trick can slow the process. One commonly recommended method is to wrap the banana stems with plastic wrap.
The reason is that bananas naturally release ethylene gas, a plant hormone involved in ripening. Much of the ethylene is released around the stem. Covering the stem can reduce the movement of ethylene and may slow ripening somewhat.
🥡 How to try the trick
- Separate the bananas if you want to slow ripening individually.
- Tear off a small piece of plastic wrap.
- Wrap it snugly around the stem, rather than covering the whole banana.
- Keep the bananas somewhere cool and dry, away from direct sunlight.
- Check them regularly and remove any banana that has become damaged or moldy.
🍌 What about putting bananas in a fruit bowl?
A fruit bowl isn’t necessarily bad, but bananas can ripen faster when they’re surrounded by other ethylene-producing fruits such as apples, pears, and avocados.
If you want your bananas to remain firm longer, keep them separate from highly ethylene-producing fruits.
❄️ What if they’re already ripe?
Once bananas reach the ripeness you like, putting them in the refrigerator can slow further ripening. The peel may turn dark or brown, but the flesh inside can remain perfectly good for longer.
Does the “10 days longer” claim hold true?
Not necessarily. There isn’t a reliable guarantee that wrapping the stems will make bananas last exactly 10 days longer. How long they remain good depends on their starting ripeness, temperature, variety, handling, and storage conditions.
So the useful takeaway isn’t the precise “10 days” figure. It’s this:
Wrap the stems, keep bananas away from other ripening fruit, and refrigerate them once they’re ripe. These simple steps can help reduce food waste and give you more time to enjoy them.
