Bananas are a popular fruit loved by many for their sweet taste, soft texture, fragrant aroma, and numerous health benefits. They are also easy to grow in Vietnam. The value bananas bring to people goes beyond their price. However, when bananas ripen, if not eaten in time, they can become blackened, lose their flavor, and become mushy, leading to waste.

When purchasing bananas, it’s advisable to choose those that are just ripe, not the fully ripe, flawless golden bananas. These bananas are often kept fresh with preservatives. While they ripen faster, they don’t last long, usually taste worse, and can even be harmful. If you tend to buy many bananas at once, here are some methods to keep them fresh and prevent them from turning black, even if left for a week.

Step 1: Rinse under cold water

When you bring bananas home, don’t store them in the fridge immediately. Instead, rinse them under cold water multiple times to clean them. Some bananas may have ripening agents on their skin, so if not cleaned, they will ripen and spoil faster, possibly even rotting. After rinsing, use a clean towel to dry them off, which will extend their freshness.

Step 2: Choose where to store the bananas

Store the bananas in a dry, well-ventilated place, avoiding direct sunlight, as high temperatures will speed up the ripening process. You can also wrap the banana stems in aluminum foil to prevent the spread of ethylene (the compound that causes fruits to ripen). This method will help prolong the storage time of bananas.

Step 3: Storage technique

Typically, people place the convex side of the banana down and the concave side up, not paying much attention to this detail. However, in reality, when you position the concave side down, it reduces the compression on the banana, helping it stay fresh for a longer time.

If you have a place to hang them, you can use a small string to tie through the banana stem and hang it up to avoid impact with other objects that could bruise the fruit. This method helps preserve the bananas for a longer period without getting damaged.

Note: Do not store bananas with apples because apples release a compound that accelerates the ripening of nearby fruits, especially bananas. Therefore, the best way to store bananas is to keep them separate from apples.

Storing bananas in the fridge

In addition to the above methods, you can also store ripe bananas in the fridge as follows:

• What you need: Ziplock bags or plastic wrap.

• How to do it: Place each banana into a ziplock bag one by one. If using plastic wrap, wrap each banana individually. Then, store them in the refrigerator’s vegetable compartment. Set the fridge temperature to around 3°C and use the bananas within 3-4 days to maintain their quality.

If you don’t need to use bananas for a while, you can freeze them for long-term storage.

How to freeze: You can freeze bananas with their peel on or peeled, depending on how you plan to use them later. Freezing bananas with their peel on saves time, but peeling frozen bananas can be quite difficult.

For peeled bananas, lay them out on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and place them in the freezer. Make sure the bananas are spaced out so they don’t stick together while freezing.