A common tip is to store bananas with one simple kitchen item: plastic wrap (or a reusable food wrap) around the stems.
Here’s why it may help:
- Bananas naturally release ethylene gas, which speeds up ripening.
- Wrapping the stem or crown of the bunch can reduce the amount of ethylene released from that area, which may slow ripening somewhat.
- It won’t keep bananas fresh for an extra 10 days in every case, but some people find it helps them last a bit longer.
Other ways to extend banana freshness include:
- 🍌 Store them at room temperature, away from direct sunlight and heat.
- 🍌 Keep them away from other ripe fruits like apples, avocados, and tomatoes, which also produce ethylene.
- 🍌 Once they’re as ripe as you like, you can refrigerate them. The peel will turn brown or black, but the fruit inside usually stays fresh for several more days.
- 🍌 If you won’t use them soon, peel and freeze them for smoothies, baking, or desserts.
So, while wrapping the stems can help slow ripening, claims that it always makes bananas last 10 days longer are likely exaggerated. The exact effect depends on how ripe the bananas are when you buy them and how they’re stored.
