Can You Put Bananas In The Fridge? (what’ll happen)
We love bananas. They can be eaten on their own or be a key ingredient for smoothies and bread.
Unfortunately, bananas have their unique timelines when it comes to when they get ripe which means they can go bad on our countertops before they’re even consumed.
To prevent rotting from happening fast, many folks suggest putting bananas in the fridge. But is it really an effective method you should also start doing? Read this article to know more!
Is it okay to put bananas inside your refrigerator?
After buying them from the shops, it’s a normal occurrence for bananas to stay fresh for around 2 to 5 days. The riper the bananas are when you bought them, the less time you’ll have to eat them when they’re still perfectly yellow.
Which brings us to the question of whether it’s okay to refrigerate your bananas.
The answer to this is yes, it’s absolutely okay to put your bananas inside the fridge to make them last longer. In fact, refrigerating them allows you to have edible AND delicious bananas for more than a week!
The reason why it’s recommended to refrigerate bananas is because doing so significantly slows the ripening process of the fruit. As a result, you’ll have more time to have them as a snack or add them to your meals.
TIP: Put bananas inside the fridge when they are already ripe, not when they’re still green.
Since refrigerating bananas slows and even stops them from going ripe, it’s counterintuitive putting them in when they’re not yet ready.
If they’re still green when you put them in your fridge, they’ll stay that way until they go bad.
How to make bananas last longer
Are you tired of having to dispose of your overripe bananas when you swore you wouldn’t waste them?
Here are some tips to extend the lifespan of your fruit:
Put your bananas in the freezer
The best thing to do to make your bananas last longer aside from putting them in your fridge is putting them in your freezer.
As we all know, freezers are great for preserving food as they contain the perfect temperature that makes microbes go dormant. Although this does not mean that they are impossible to spoil, when bananas are put inside the freezer, you can easily have them ready to eat even after a week or two.
When your bananas are already starting to brown as they ripen[1], this does not mean that you already have to throw them in the trash. As long as they’re still not mushy or mouldy, you can still put them in the freezer.
SEE ALSO: Are Fridges And Freezers Affected By Room Temperature?
Keep your bananas away from direct sunlight
Like many kinds of food, it’s not a good idea to place bananas in a spot that is warm or gets direct sunlight.
Why? Because heat and light will make your bananas ripen faster. Hence, it is always best to place them in a cool, dark spot in your kitchen to make them last longer.
TIP: If you have a hook or banana holder, hanging your fruit on them will also help make it last longer.
Not only will your kitchen have less clutter, but bananas will do better if they are not stored on a surface where they’ll be prone to bruising.
- Thanks to the open design, the fruit stored in this metal fruit bowl can be seen with ease. It also allows for optimal air circulation.
- The integrated banana holder prevents unnecessary pressure points on this delicate fruit to stop bruising and extend its lifespan.
Place your bananas away from organic food
It can be very tempting to huddle all your fruit such as bananas, oranges, and apples in one spot.
Unfortunately, did you know that storing them next to each other actually makes them go bad faster?
This is because in the instance when one fruit is already overripe, the decay can spread to the other fruits. This situation is extremely bad for organic food such as bananas which are sensitive and can easily rot.
NOTE: Avoid wrapping your bananas in plastic either! If your intention is not to make your fruit ripen earlier, wrapping them in plastic hastens the ripening process significantly.
Sprinkle a bit of lemon juice on your bananas
Will you use your bananas for smoothies, milkshakes, or salads?
In the instance where you’ll include them in other recipes, slicing your bananas, putting them in a container, and sprinkling some lemon juice on them will keep them from going brown for at least a couple of days.
What about the taste? If you just sprinkle a bit on your fruit, believe us when we say that you wouldn’t even taste the lemon on your smoothie or banana bread.
Just make sure to not soak the fruit in the juice and you’re good to go!
When life gives you overripe bananas, make banana bread!
Like many things, there will come a time when bananas are simply not great to eat on their own, especially when they’re overripe or mushy.
When this happens, it’s time to get that recipe out and make your delicious banana bread!
Do you have more tips for making bananas last longer? Or maybe a very tasty banana bread recipe?
Feel free to share them below!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you want to keep your bananas fresh, it’s best to store them at room temperature and away from direct sunlight. However, if you’re looking to extend their shelf life, you can pop them in the fridge or freeze them.
Bananas last longer in the fridge as the cold preserves the fruit and slows the ripening process.
Bananas can stay in the fridge for around a week.
As long as there’s no mould or bad odour coming from it, it’s still safe to eat an overripe banana.
Yes, black bananas are safe to eat as long as they’re not yet mouldy or smell like alcohol. In fact, blackened bananas are sweeter and are a great addition to smoothies.
