How To Preserve Bananas So They Last Longer
We tell you the keys to prevent your bananas from acquiring the typical blackish appearance a few days after purchasing them, as well as the best tricks and tips to improve their conservation. Take note!
Bananas, with their sweet flavor and soft texture, are one of the most popular and consumed fruits around the world. Easy to take anywhere with their natural packaging, rich in vitamins and minerals, and with a very affordable price, bananas are part of the regular diet of all of us.
However, they have a very ephemeral nature due to the biological processes they undergo. It is common for its ripening to catch us by surprise and we find that a bunch recently purchased at the supermarket or at our trusted fruit store turns black. We tell you how to preserve bananas for longer and the best tricks to prevent them from turning blackish a few days after buying them.
What is a banana?
The common plantain, known as Musa Paradisiaca, belongs to the Musaceae family. It is an elongated berry with thick skin and soft, sweet pulp. The diversity of varieties, such as apple bananas or plantains, contributes to their versatility in the kitchen in both sweet and savory recipes and with preparations that we can find all over the planet.
The popularity of banana is due to several factors, such as its accessibility, pleasant taste, and nutritional richness, rich in potassium, vitamin C, and fiber. In addition, its natural packaging and its ease of transport make it a very easy fruit to consume, easily digestible, and common in diets ranging from the littlest ones in the house to the elderly.
Why do bananas ripen quickly?
Before discussing how to improve their preservation and extend their shelf life, it is essential to understand why bananas are prone to ripening quickly. The answer lies in the natural production of ethylene, a natural chemical compound that accelerates the ripening process.
Ethylene is produced mainly in fruits during their ripening process. Plants, in response to stimuli such as the presence of plant hormones such as abscisic acid or the ripening of a neighboring fruit, release this gas. In turn, ethylene stimulates the production of more ethylene in a kind of cascade, thus accelerating the ripening process of the rest of the fruits around it.
Its chemical composition is simple: it is an unsaturated hydrocarbon composed of two carbon atoms and four hydrogen atoms (C₂H₄). Although colorless and odorless in its pure state, this means that it does not have a distinctive odor that can be perceived by our senses.
Although ethylene is essential for the normal ripening of fruits, its excessive accumulation can accelerate the putrefaction process in some foods, especially those that are sensitive to the gas. This phenomenon is observed when fruits and vegetables are stored together in the same closed space, such as in a basket or bag. The ethylene concentration increases, triggering premature ripening and possibly contributing to the breakdown of more delicate products.
Some examples of fruits that also produce ethylene naturally are apples, which can accelerate the ripening of other fruits, or pears.
How long do bananas keep well?
The shelf life of bananas depends on several factors, such as their initial state of ripeness and storage conditions. On average, bananas keep well for 5 to 7 days under ideal conditions.
How to preserve bananas for longer
There are several methods or tricks to preserve bananas for longer, such as avoiding exposing them to too high temperatures or using transparent film for their conversation.
Store bananas at room temperature
Despite the common belief that bananas should be refrigerated, the best way to store them is at room temperature. Storing them in the refrigerator can cause the peel to darken, even though the flesh remains intact.
Escape from the sun and drafts
Avoiding direct exposure to the sun and drafts is essential. Place the bananas in a cool, shady place to maintain their quality for longer. A perfect and simple option is to have a fruit bowl, where you can put other fruits, but taking into account our next recommendation.
Use transparent film
Wrapping the ends of the banana bunch with plastic wrap can slow down the release of ethylene and, therefore, the ripening process. This helps preserve its freshness for longer and helps this chemical compound affect the rest of the fruits.
Could we use aluminum foil as an alternative? The truth is that, although it can provide an effective seal, aluminum foil may not be as airtight as cling film, allowing greater exposure to air and leading to natural oxidation processes.
Keep them together to the cluster
Bananas retain their freshness longer when kept in bunches. Separating them accelerates ripening, as it increases exposure to ethylene produced by neighboring fruits. When bananas are kept in bunches, the storage conditions more closely mimic their natural environment on the plant. The physical proximity between bananas creates an atmosphere that helps retain moisture, thus preventing them from drying out or dehydrating. The skin of bunch bananas acts as a collective barrier, providing them with an additional layer of protection against direct contact with air, which helps maintain their freshness and texture.
What not to do when preserving bananas
If you want to prevent your bananas from ripening prematurely and preserve them effectively, avoid doing this.
Do not wrap them in paper
Paper, due to its porous nature, has the ability to absorb and retain moisture. When bananas are wrapped in paper, it can absorb the natural moisture that the fruits release during their ripening process. Wrapping bananas in paper can speed up their ripening by trapping moisture.
Don’t peel them
Peeling bananas before storing them accelerates their oxidation and darkening. Keep the shell intact until you are ready to eat them.
Avoid cross-contamination
As we have mentioned, exposing bananas together with other fruits accelerates the production of ethylene. Keep the fruits separated to avoid cross-contamination and prevent the appearance of ethylene with the advice we have indicated above.
Can bananas be frozen?
Yes, bananas can be frozen. Peeled and sliced, frozen bananas are great for smoothies and desserts. Be sure to store them in airtight bags to preserve their freshness and flavor.
What to do so that the banana does not turn black
To prevent bananas from turning black, it is crucial to minimize oxygen exposure. Once a banana is peeled, its flesh begins to oxidize. You can soak it in lemon juice, rich in antioxidants, to slow the oxidation process.
Some essential banana-based recipes
As we said, bananas are a very versatile type of fruit in the kitchen which means we can consume them in salty or sweet preparations. Thus, we have recipes with bananas that range from a spongy homemade banana cake to a refreshing banana granita for the hottest days of summer. If we are looking for a saltier touch, the star recipe could not be other than the well-known Cuban rice.