Bananas will not turn brown or mushy when stored in 1 unexpected area in the kitchen

Bananas will not turn brown or mushy when stored in 1 unexpected area in the kitchen (Image: Getty)

Bananas are often stored in a bowl on top of your other fruit, but this is actually one of the worst places to store them as it causes them to spoil quickly. 

It can be tricky to keep bananas fresh and yellow as they produce a large amount of ethylene gas, a plant growth hormone which causes fruit to ripen to enhance the flavour. 

However, when too much fruit is piled together it will release too much ethylene into the air, which will cause all the fruit to decay at a much faster rate. 

Bananas are infamous for having a short shelf life as they produce a high amount of ethylene gas while also being highly sensitive to it. 

The best way to keep bananas fresh for much longer is to store them on their own away from other fruits as apples, pears, avocados, peaches and plums also produce lots of ethylene.

Bananas will quickly turn black and mushy when stored in a fruit bowl (Image: Getty)

Linda Tyler, a cook and founder of Gracious Vegan, has shared that bananas will keep fresh for much longer if stored by themselves in the refrigerator. 

It is a common misconception that bananas cannot be stored in the fridge as it will cause their peel to turn brown.

However, storing bananas in the fridge will greatly reduce ethylene gas production, so while the peel will become discoloured the fruit inside remains yellow, firm and fresh for longer. 

Linda said: “If you can bring yourself to peeling that brown skin in the week following, you’ll find the banana inside to be firmer than its brothers and sisters left at room temperature, and its taste will be just fine. 

“In other words, if you like ‘medium’ bananas, you should consider refrigerating them just after they lose their green cast.”

It is important to note that only bananas that have fully ripe and yellow can be stored in the refrigerator, and green bananas should not be kept in a cold environment.

Banana peels will turn brown but stay fresh (Image: Getty)

The freezing temperature in the fridge will completely halt the ripening process so unripened bananas will never be able to develop properly and it will cause them to taste horrible. 

Only store bananas in the fridge if they have turned yellow, and if they have any green left on them, it is better to store them in the kitchen counter until they ripen. 

Linda said: “I tried refrigerating a couple of green bananas. The good news is that the peel didn’t turn brown. 

“But the bad news is that the banana inside didn’t start to ripen, so it wasn’t sweet or tasty – it just kind of stalled in the pre-ripened state.”

If you store bananas properly, then they will stay fresh and flavourful for weeks longer rather than wasting away after a few days. This way you will not waste food and maybe save a little money on your food shop.