Few tips to prevent bananas from ripening fast

The banana is one of the world’s most popular fruits. It is extremely nutritious, readily available, and a super convenient snack food. Bananas are considered to be a good dietary source of potassium, magnesium, fiber, Vitamin C, and Vitamin B6. They are also a rich source of proteins, antioxidants, and several other nutrients. Bananas are less likely to be contaminated with germs and dust because of their protective outer peel.

Most of us love to have bananas at home as they are highly versatile and can be used in salads, sandwiches, shakes, desserts etc. However, they are prone to quick ripening and can get wasted if not stored properly. So, here are some simple tips for you, to store them for longer.

• • Store bananas in a bag made out of Muslin/cotton cloth. I store bananas in a cloth bag and they stay in there easily for almost a week. The ripening is slow and the fruit is well protected from fruit flies. You can also try using a paper bag instead of a cloth bag.
  • Another way is to wrap the bananas in Cling wrap and store them. This also helps the bananas last for almost a week and keeps fruit flies away. If there is a cut on the peel of any banana, use a separate cling wrap for it.
  • One can buy a banana hook/banana hanger to store bananas. Hanging the entire bunch on a hanger/hook results in gradual and even ripening.
  • Once the banana is fully ripened, store it in the refrigerator. Even though the skin tends to turn dark, the flavor is preserved.

Some Do’s and Dont’s for storing bananas:

• • Bananas should be stored at room temperature, away from direct sunlight.
  • Never refrigerate green bananas as it will interrupt the ripening process.
  • Never store bananas in a plastic bag as it traps excess moisture and the fruit rots faster.
  • If you want to speed up the ripening process of bananas, you can place them near a ripe fruit. The ripe fruit emits Ethylene gas that helps in speeding up the ripening process.