Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Storing Unpeeled Bananas
• Method 2 of 3: Storing peeled bananas
• Method 3 of 3: What you can make with overripe bananas

Bananas turn brown for a variety of reasons. When you store peeled bananas, oxygen affects the enzymes of the bananas and their flesh turns dark. When bananas turn brown on the outside, it is because the yellow pigments in the banana peel break down and the skin turns brown. Scientific knowledge of how bananas ripen is very important to keep fruits fresh, tasty and edible. In this article, you will find several ways to help you prevent premature ripening of bananas.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Storing Unpeeled Bananas

1. 1 Buy bananas that are yellow in the middle and green at the ends. This means that they are a little immature.
   • Make sure the banana skins are free of brown spots or spots.Dents and damage allow the air to attack the bananas, accelerating the ripening process.
   • Don't buy bananas that are already yellow. Bananas overripe very quickly and can be stored for a short time. For this reason, you need to be sure to buy the bananas that are slightly greenish in color, this will give you more time to store the bananas before they are overripe.
2. 2 Store bananas at room temperature until ripe. Try not to keep them near a heat source, it speeds up the ripening process.
   • Do not put bananas in the refrigerator until they are ripe. This can have the opposite effect, and the banana skins will brown even faster. This is because the cold destroys the cell walls ahead of time, which causes the production of melanin, from which the skin turns black. The funny thing is that the inside of the bananas will remain unripe, because the cold stops the ripening process of the fruit.
3. 3 Hang the bananas on the banana hanger. This will prevent the bananas from wrinkling and preventing air from penetrating through the damaged skin. You can also wrap a bunch of bananas in plastic wrap. This will limit the amount of air intake and the bananas will stay fresh until next week.
4. 4 Store bananas separately from other fruits. Fruits and vegetables secrete a special hormone that speeds up the ripening process.
   • Storing foods together can speed up their ripening. We can say that they "infect" each other. Plants secrete a natural hormone, ethylene, which causes ripening. Fruits and vegetables that are already overripe release more ethylene than normal, causing other fruits to overripe quickly if they are nearby.
   • Do not store bananas in airtight bags. This will cause the bananas to ripen faster because the ethylene will build up inside the bag.
5. 5 When the bananas are ripe, put them in the refrigerator. At this point, the ripening process has already begun, so you can delay overripening by placing the fruit in a cold temperature environment.
   • To stop the ripening process, you need to slow down the chemical reactions caused by ethylene. The cold temperature slows down the circulation of ethylene and thus protects the banana pulp from over-ripening.
   • Don't be alarmed if the banana skin turns completely black. This means that the pigment in the banana peel has changed its color, but this has no effect on the freshness of the banana itself. These bananas should retain their flavor and remain relatively firm.

Method 2 of 3: Storing peeled bananas

1. 1 Place the peeled bananas in an airtight plastic container and place in the freezer. You can thaw bananas for later use.
   • Although peeled bananas lack their natural air defenses, sealing them in an airtight container will limit the oxygen supply. At subzero temperatures, the release of ethylene is much lower than at temperatures in a conventional refrigerator.
   • Unlike bananas stored in the refrigerator, frozen bananas cannot be eaten immediately. You will need to leave the bananas at room temperature for at least an hour to defrost them.
2. 2 Brush the bananas with lemon or lime juice. The acid acts as a preservative and allows the bananas to stay yellow longer.
   • You don't need to soak bananas in lemon juice. Even adding more lemon juice doesn't mean the bananas will keep better. Plus, your bananas will become too sour.
   • If you want to replace lemon with something sweet, use pineapple, orange, or apple juice. These fruits have enough acid to protect the bananas from browning and do not need to be diluted. Apple juice has no distinct flavor, so it will be almost invisible. If you plan to mix the bananas with other fruits afterwards, you can choose the appropriate juice for preserving.
3. 3 Dip the peeled bananas in the vinegar solution. In this case, you use acid again to preserve the bananas, but use the bite instead of fruit juice.
   • Using vinegar is a good substitute because fruit juices alter the natural taste of bananas too much. Add a quarter cup of table vinegar to one cup of water. Soak bananas (whole or sliced) in the solution for 3 minutes.
   • Try not to leave the bananas in the vinegar solution for more than 3 minutes. If bananas are left in solution for too long, they will soften the surface and develop a lingering vinegar flavor, which is certainly much less pleasant than lemon or lime juice.
4. 4 Soak bananas in a water solution of vitamin C. If you don't have other fruits or vinegar at home, vitamin C dissolved in water can help you achieve the same effect.
   • Crush a vitamin C tablet with a spoon and pour it into a glass of water. Stir the contents of the glass well and immerse the bananas in this liquid for a few seconds.
   • Effervescent vitamin C is especially suitable for this purpose. Place the tablet in a glass of water. When the tablet is completely dissolved, stir the solution and immerse the bananas in it for a few seconds.

Method 3 of 3: What you can make with overripe bananas

1. 1 Bake banana bread. Even if you haven't managed to keep all the bananas from overripe, that doesn't mean you can't make a delicious treat with them.
   • Banana bread is especially tasty and flavorful when you make it with overripe bananas. If you think bananas are "hopeless," then banana bread is the right solution.
   • In fact, bananas remain edible for much longer than is commonly believed. As long as your bananas are not covered with mold, fruit flies have not settled on them and have not laid their eggs, they remain quite edible, no matter how dark and soft they are.
2. 2 Make a Biskoff Banana Apple Smoothie. Put overripe bananas in a blender, add the rest of the ingredients and make a delicious drink.
   • All you need is 1 overripe banana, half an apple, peeled and unceored, 4 biscoffs or any other unfilled biscuits, a pinch of cinnamon, half a teaspoon of vanilla sugar, one glass of milk, and a handful of ice cubes.
   • First place the cookies, banana and apple in a blender and chop. Then add the rest of the ingredients and continue grinding. You can add milk until you get the smoothness you want.
   • For a thicker texture, add oatmeal to a blender and chop it. This will make your shake more nutritious and crispy.
3. 3 Make Foster's frozen banana ice cream. Banana foster is a popular treat in New Orleans and you can easily make it.
   • You will need 2 large, very ripe bananas, cut into thin slices, 2 teaspoons of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of oil, half a teaspoon of cinnamon, 120 ml of natural yogurt; 120 milliliters of milk; 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar and 1 teaspoon rum.
   • First, put the bananas, sugar, butter and cinnamon in a small bowl and heat for 30 seconds, until the bananas are tender. Stir the resulting mixture. Wait for the bananas to cool, then put them in a blender and add the yogurt, milk, vanilla sugar and rum. Whisk well. Pour the resulting mixture into ice cream molds and place them in the freezer for several hours until the ice cream is completely frozen. Remove them from the mold when serving.