Is there anything more delicious than fresh fruit? Yes—dark chocolate. But fresh fruit is definitely up there, and it’s hard to beat the taste of a ripe banana. If you’re like us, you’re always trying to keep bananas fresh, especially if you’ve bought a bunch but only want to eat one at a time.
Here are some of the most effective ways you can keep your bananas from browning too quickly. (Plan B is to make more banana bread!)
1. Hang Your Bananas
Turns out there’s a scientific reason you should be hanging your bananas from a hook. Bananas start ripening as soon as they’re picked from trees—ethylene gas releases from the stems as soon as they’re picked, but when you hang bananas from a hook, the gas works more slowly. Hanging bananas also prevents them from bruising on the counter, which they’re more prone to do as they continue ripening.
You can pick up a fruit basket with a built-in hook or a small under-cabinet hook made specifically for bananas. Either way, keep your bananas at room temperature while they ripen on the hook.
2. Buy Green Bananas
The easiest way to prolong your bananas’ shelf life is to buy the greenest bananas you can find. They’re picked while still green, then slowly ripen over time to reach that bright yellow we love. Instead of grabbing perfectly ripened bananas you’re eyeing for banana muffins, grab a green bunch you can hang from your hook and watch ripen.
3. Wrap Banana Stems in Plastic Wrap
Remember that ethylene gas that makes bananas ripen? It comes from the stems, which means you can wrap those stems—with plastic wrap or aluminum foil—to slow down the ripening process. You may see grocery stores selling bunches of bananas with plastic wrap on the stems, but for best results, take your bananas apart and wrap their stems individually.
4. Place Ripe Bananas in the Fridge
One of the cardinal rules of banana storage is to never store them in the fridge. But rules are meant to be broken, especially when it comes to bananas. You should keep green bananas far away from the fridge, but once your bananas have completely ripened, you can move them to the fridge where the cool temperatures will keep them from ripening further (for a few days at least). That’s a couple more days of fresh banana parfaits for you!
5. Freeze Your Bananas
Freezing bananas is one of the easiest ways to keep them preserved for future use. But how you freeze bananas could have a big impact on how well they thaw. Freezing the entire bunch will darken the peels, and they’ll thaw poorly. Instead, consider freezing peeled, individual bananas or banana slices in resealable airtight bags.
6. Buy a Banana Keeper
Bruising can wreak havoc on your bananas. It leads to squishy parts and faster ripening, which is where hard cases built specifically for bananas come in handy. The Banana Keeper can hold one banana at a time and acts as a great solution for keeping individual fruits ripe and ready for lunch (or for your afternoon snack). You may want more than one if you’re looking to protect a bunch, but if you have one overripe banana, this is a great solution.
Banana Bread Snack Cakes
Calls for: 1 ripe banana This cake doesn't need any frosting—just a dusting of powdered sugar. Guests are always amazed that I made this treat from scratch.—Denise Loewenthal, Hinckley, Ohio
Banana Split Brownies
Calls for: 1 ripe banana How's this for a dish—all the joy of a banana split without the mess. Everything in my recipe fits into one pan of delectable brownie bars. —Connee Sheckler, Chestertown, Maryland
Upside-Down Banana Monkey Bread
Calls for: 2 ripe bananas Everyone digs in to monkey bread thanks to its pull-apart shape. We add banana slices and pecans to top this already scrumptious showpiece for a brunch or family gathering. —Donna Marie Ryan, Topsfield, Massachusetts
Best Ever Banana Bread
Calls for: 2 ripe bananas Whenever I pass a display of bananas in the grocery store, I can almost smell the wonderful aroma of my best banana bread recipe. It really is that good! —Gert Kaiser, Kenosha, Wisconsin
Banana Pound Cake
Calls for: 2 ripe bananas I adapted a basic pound cake recipe from my great-aunt for this treat. It makes a moist cake that pops out of the pan perfectly. —Nancy Zimmerman, Cape May Court House, New Jersey
Bananas Foster Oatmeal
Calls for: 2 ripe bananas This oatmeal tastes like bananas Foster, my favorite dessert. If you can’t find rum extract, double the vanilla. —Carol Touchton, Seffner, Florida
Cranberry Banana Coffee Cake
Calls for: 2 ripe bananas I make this moist cake for Christmas morning every year. It tastes like banana bread but has a sweet golden topping with a nutty crunch. —Gloria Friesen, Casper, Wyoming
Banana Chocolate Cake
Calls for: 2 ripe bananas This light-as-air chocolate cake has a yummy banana flavor. It’s scrumptious as is, but you can also dress it up with nuts or light frostings. —Tina Bellows, Racine, Wisconsin
Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies
Calls for: 2 ripe bananas I use to buy name-brand breakfast cookies from the supermarket, but since I found this recipe I've enjoyed making my cookies more than buying them.—Linda Burciaga
Chocolate Banana Bundles
Calls for: 2 ripe bananas Banana and chocolate are such an irresistible combo that I make this quick dessert often. You can also top them with the butter and brown sugar mixture left over from coating the bananas, or sprinkle on a dash of sea salt. —Thomas Faglon, Somerset, New Jersey
Pumpkin Banana Bread
Calls for: 2 ripe bananas I came across this recipe in a local newspaper about 10 years ago, and I still make the bread on a regular basis. The recipe conveniently yields a number of mini loaves, making gift-giving easy. —Linda Wood, Roanoke, Virginia
Peanut Butter-Banana Yogurt Parfaits
Calls for: 2 ripe bananas For a lightening-fast breakfast, I layer vanilla yogurt with bananas, peanuts and multigrain cereal. It’s crunchy, easy and perfect for kids.—Teresa Miller, Hamilton, Indiana
Banana Squares
Calls for: 2-3 ripe bananas When we were first married, my husband was in the Navy. Stationed in Puerto Rico, we had banana trees growing in our yard, so I found ways to use dozens of ripe bananas at a time. I made these banana squares often. They freeze well and make a great snack to have on hand when friends drop in for coffee. —Susan Miller, Raleigh, North Carolina
Egg-Free Double Chocolate Banana Muffins
Calls for: 2-3 ripe bananas I am always looking to use up the brown bananas on my counter. My usual go-to was banana nut bread, but when my youngest developed an egg allergy I had to come up with something different. Since bananas and chocolate are so good together I decided to make these muffins. You would never be able to tell they are egg-free. —Danielle Siero, Farmington, Michigan
Roasted Banana & Pecan Cheesecake
Calls for: 3 ripe bananas We keep bananas on hand, but with just two of us in the house they ripen faster than we can eat them. That makes them perfect for roasting and baking into this cheesecake with a nutty crust. —Patricia Harmon, Baden, Pennsylvania
Potluck Banana Cake
Calls for: 3 ripe bananas I found this recipe more than five years ago and have been making it for family gatherings ever since. The coffee-flavored frosting complements the moist banana cake. —Kathy Hoffman, Topton, Pennsylvania
Banana Macadamia Muffins
Calls for: 3 ripe bananas These muffins taste even better the next day, so to save time, I often make them the night before. They stay moist for days. —Stasha Wampler, Clinchport, Virginia
Banana Split Cake Bars
Calls for: 3 ripe bananas Summer isn’t summer without a banana split or two, and these fun bars bring that same delicious flavor in potluck-perfect form. —Jasey McBurnett, Rock Springs, Wyoming
Pear-Blueberry Ambrosia with Creamy Lime Dressing
Calls for: 3 ripe bananas This dessert is delicious and decadent, yet is chock-full of healthy fruit with a creamy lime dressing; the blueberries provide a lovely pop of color. —Laura Stricklin, Jackson, Mississippi
Orange Banana Nut Bread
Calls for: 3 ripe bananas I like this recipe because the orange juice gives the nut bread such a bright flavor and also makes it moist. —Barbara Roethlisberger, Shepherd, Michigan
Banana Blueberry Pancakes
Calls for: 3 ripe bananas This blueberry pancakes recipe is a favorite in our home. My kids don’t even realize how healthy it is! —Kelly Reinicke, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin
Cast-Iron Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Calls for: 3 ripe bananas I love this cast-iron banana bread because it cooks evenly every time. The end result is so moist and delicious! —Ashley Hudd, Holton, Michigan
Chocolate Banana Muffins
Calls for: 3 ripe bananas I bake something almost everyday—either in the morning before everyone's awake or in the evening. I whip up these tender muffins in no time and serve them with jam for breakfast or ice cream and chocolate syrup for dessert. —Stephanie Kienzle, North Miami Beach, Florida
Frosted Banana Bars
Calls for: 3 ripe bananas These bars are always a hit at potlucks in the small rural farming community where my husband and I live. I also like to provide them for coffee hour after church. They're so moist and delicious that wherever I take them, they don't last long. —Karen Dryak, Niobrara, Nebraska
Elvis Banana Bread
Calls for: 4 ripe bananas As a toddler, my son loved bananas, so we always had them in the house. We didn't always eat them all before they were too ripe, so we experimented beyond basic banana bread. That’s how we came up with Elvis bread! —Liz Somppi, Greenfield, Wisconsin
Raspberry-Banana Soft Serve
Calls for: 4 ripe bananas When I make this ice cream, I mix and match bananas for their ripeness. Very ripe ones add more banana flavor. Less ripe ones have a fluffier texture. —Melissa Hansen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Bananas Foster on the Grill
Calls for: 4 ripe bananas Bananas Foster is my husband's favorite dessert, and this is one of the easiest recipes I have found. Not only is it delicious, it's a great way to use those bananas that are a little too ripe to just peel and eat. —Rebecca Clark, Warrior, Alabama
Banana Pudding
Calls for: 4 ripe bananas I didn’t see my son, Lance Corporal Eric Harris, for more than two years after he enlisted in the Marines after high school. And when I saw him arrive at the airport, I just grabbed hold of him and burst out crying. When we got home, the first thing he ate was two bowls of my easy banana pudding recipe. He’s a true southern boy! It’s a dessert, but you can have it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. —Stephanie Harris, Montpelier, Virginia
Gluten-Free Banana Bread
Calls for: 4-5 ripe bananas This gluten-free banana bread recipe isn't dry and crumbly—it tastes like the real thing. I hope you try it! —Gladys Arnold, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
I Like to Eat Apples and Bananas Bread
Calls for: 4-5 ripe bananas My children love to bake (and eat) all kinds of banana bread. They make this all by themselves, with just a little help from me to put it in the oven. —Kristin Metcalf, Charlton, MassachusettsThe post 6 Ways to Make Your Bananas Last Longer appeared first on Taste of Home.
Kate Ellsworth