How to Make Bananas Last Longer: Top 3 Ways

Hi everyone! Today we have a guest post from Marika Pierson sharing some fantastic tips on how to make bananas last longer. Marika Pierson is a freelance writer and creator of healthy lifestyle blog, Lessiful.com. She is a lover of books and DIY-ing, and she has a habit of unintentionally memorizing commercials.

Did you know that, in Britain, 1.4 million bananas are thrown away every single day? Crazy, right?

Bananas and I have had a long and checkered past. You see, when I was five years old, my parents took me on a trip to the California redwoods, where I had my first experience with a banana slug. It was yellow and slimy and absolutely terrifying because my very literal five-year-old self thought it was a REAL banana that was moving.

Needless to say, I had some banana issues after that. (I also used to be very confused as to why I couldn’t find a rainbow on my plate when I ate rainbow trout.) Fortunately, I overcame my phobia and am now a Banana Advocate. And you can be, too.

How to Keep Bananas Fresh Longer

Let’s face it, bananas are great. They have a high potassium content, and WebMD also notes that an average-size banana contains 10% of your daily fiber intake. They are versatile and delicious. And although they have a bad habit of ripening quickly and turning into unappetizing brown mush, they do not deserve to be tossed into the trash.

Are you with me? Let’s save the bananas! Let’s prevent this tropical tragedy!

Read on for the method I’ve used personally to keep bananas fresh longer, as well as some alternative options if your bananas happen to be stubborn.

First of all, the process:

• Start with bananas that are as green as you can find.
• Separate them if they are in a bunch.
• Wrap the stem with a small square of plastic wrap.
• Secure with a rubber band.

That’s it. Your bananas should look just like this:

The Results:

I’ve tried this and found that the bananas lasted several days (even up to a week) longer than usual.

Why, you ask? Food Network explains, “One important thing to note about the ethylene-emitting nature of bananas is that it starts with the stem. This is why you’ll often see grocers wrap the stems in plastic. This isolates the stems and prevents the ethylene from traveling down the banana to ripen the fruit.”

Other Ways to Make Bananas Last Longer

Now, although the method above has worked for me, I am not a Professional Banana Tester and cannot guarantee results. If you find that your bananas are still ripening faster than you’d like, consider these suggestions:

Hang them up.

Sounds cruel, but Today says, “It prevents bruising and it also decreases the chance of exposing the banana flesh to oxygen, which will only [make] it ripen that much faster.”

Refrigerate them.

I didn’t even know refrigerating bananas was a thing, but apparently it is.

According to Taste Essence, “If you are not going to consume ripe bananas immediately, place them in a plastic bag, seal it, and keep it in the fridge. The peels may darken, but the flesh will not be affected. Remove them from the refrigerator a few hours before your snack-time, allow them to come back to room temperature, and then consume them. You can keep ripe bananas in your refrigerator for at least one week.”

Bake them into bread.

You and I both know that this list wouldn’t be complete without some reference to banana bread. The previous suggestions will hopefully delay the aging process, but eventually even the greenest banana will reach its prime. So unless you can invent some sort of Banana Cryogenics Chamber, you’ll probably want to make yourself a tasty loaf.

For an awesome recipe, try this healthier banana bread with coconut oil and honey. Or, if you want something fast, try this cake mix banana bread.

Go Preserve Those Bananas!

Yes, fellow advocate, you now have the tips at your disposal to rescue our fibrous friends. Protect our potassium pals. Care for our crescent-shaped comrades.

Go forth and save the bananas!

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