How to store ripe and green bananas so that they don’t turn black for a long time

Few people know that bananas are supplied to the country in large refrigerators and unripe. To speed up the ripening of fruits, after they arrive at the store, special people treat them with gas. Storing fruits in stores and at home is slightly different. So, how to store bananas at home?

In supermarkets, the fruits ripen, but at home, after purchase, they begin to turn black and deteriorate. Sometimes situations arise when you need to buy bananas for future use.

To keep them looking fresh, you need to know some storage rules.

Where do green, unripe bananas come from?

Before getting down to business, for those who don’t know this, I want to tell you that, in fact, absolutely all bananas come to us from hot countries in green form .
The fact is that this is the only way to preserve them during the month-long (and sometimes 50-60-day) journey from the palm tree branch to the shelf of our local store. After surviving a long sea voyage and arriving at large wholesale warehouses, green and unripe bananas are exposed to a special gas mixture for 24 hours. It consists of 95 percent nitrogen and 5% ethylene. The process of this forced stimulation of banana ripening is called aeration. For another week after this very carbonation, the bananas lie in the warehouse at a temperature of 18-20 degrees and, as they say, reach the desired condition. Only after this are boxes of sweet tropical fruits sent to retail outlets. So, green unripe bananas on store shelves in this scheme appear as a result of violations committed during their aeration. For example, gas treatment in a warehouse could be carried out for less than the required time - not a day, but 12 hours. Or maybe the amount of gas mixture was not enough or the bananas were kept warm after carbonation for 2-3 days instead of 6-7. It is in such cases that our fruits remain semi-green instead of turning yellow. And everything would be fine, but unripe bananas are almost impossible to eat - they taste unsweetened, astringent, hard, and tart. Moreover, eating such foods can lead to indigestion.

Maturity level

Choosing the perfect bunch of bananas at the store is quite easy. The main thing is to know for what purpose you are purchasing fruits:

• The uniformly yellow fruit with a greenish stalk inside contains sweet, tender pulp without any traces of darkening, and has a round cross-section. It is better to eat this fruit within the first 24 hours after purchase. But in this article we will tell you how to preserve bananas so they don’t turn black and help you prolong the pleasure of eating this valuable product.
• The fruit has a green skin and ribbed edges and has a sweetish herbaceous taste. If it was properly transported and stored until sold, it can ripen naturally in your home within a few days. This is convenient for preparing a holiday or creating a small supply.
• If the banana peel is covered with a few dark spots, the inside will be incredibly sweet, honeyed pulp with a rich aroma. Only after a few hours at room conditions it will begin to darken and turn into mush. Such fruits should be eaten immediately or used to prepare various dishes.

Tip of the day

If the greenish or yellow skin has a dull gray tint, discard the purchase. Such fruit was stored in violation of the temperature regime and will not be able to ripen, and inside there will be tasteless pulp.

How to choose good and tasty bananas

Different bananas have different beneficial properties, depending on the degree of ripeness. For example, ripe fruits are higher in calories than green ones. However, unripe fruits contain more sodium.

To make your choice, you should pay attention to the following points:

1. Spots on the peel are a sign of ripeness. When purchasing, you need to take into account the fact that such fruits will turn black within 2 days. If there is mold on the peel, this indicates improper transportation of the fruit and you should not purchase it.

size 2. It is believed that the highest quality fruits are those larger than 20 cm. But you need to remember that their taste is no different from smaller bananas.

3. Smell. Ripe fruits have a rich, pleasant aroma.

4. The peel must be intact, without a torn tail. It is not recommended to buy fruit with a burst skin or a rotten stem.

5. Color. Ripe fruit has a bright yellow color. You should not buy fruits with pale skin.

6. Ripe bananas have a more rounded shape and feel firm and elastic to the touch.

7. Location. It is believed that the most delicious fruits are in the center of a banana bunch. If a person needs to buy 1-2 pieces, then they should be picked from the center.

Few people know why stickers are put on fruits. Firstly, this is done so that buyers remember the supplier's brand. Secondly, stickers with codes are placed on some fruits. If there is a marking on the peel with a code containing 5 numbers starting with 8, then these products contain GMOs.

Before purchasing, you should not only inspect the integrity and appearance of the fruit, but also read the text on the stickers.

If food is purchased for a holiday, then you need to take ripened bananas so that guests do not have to eat unripe fruit.

The best way to stimulate banana ripening at home

It is clear that at home, green bananas cannot be treated with a mixture of nitrogen and ethylene in an industrial way. However, there is an option that is very close to it. It includes the use of other, already ripe fruits - for example, apples, pears, apricots, kiwis, avocados, quinces or melons. All of them, at their peak, exude not only a great aroma, but also the same gases that green and semi-green bananas need to ripen. All that remains is to direct them to our bananas.

For bananas to ripen under the influence of other ripe fruits, it is not enough just to place them next to them. It's best to put a bunch of bananas and a couple of apples (or pears) in one paper bag . If you don’t have a paper bag, you can use a plastic bag if you wish, but it is better to find an option in which the fruit will be exposed to natural humidity and access to oxygen. For example, I use a cardboard box from new shoes for this. I put several bananas and three apples there, closed the lid, and after 20-30 hours I got what I wanted - yellow bananas .

What's the best way to store green bananas so they ripen?

If necessary, the natural process of ripening green fruits can be accelerated. To do this, the fruit is placed in an environment with a temperature of 15-20 degrees, the humidity of which is at least 70%, without light sources. A suitable option is to leave the bundle in a bag, preferably a paper one or put it in a cardboard box. To speed up ripening, other fruits are placed next to bananas in small quantities:

• pears;
• apples;
• melons

But you shouldn’t make cuts on the peel, as some housewives advise.

Note that green bananas are close in taste to vegetables. In many countries they are used instead of potatoes - if you wish, you can use one of these recipes. The ripening time depends on the storage conditions - in the best case, they will turn yellow within a day.

The most proven method

It is almost impossible to carbonate bananas industrially at home. But sometimes you can use a trick and use a similar option. To do this, you will need other well-ripened, aromatic fruits; they will speed up ripening and bring the bananas to the desired condition. To do this, you can take any mature specimens. It can be:

• apples;
• pears;
• melons;
• apricots;
• kiwi;
• avocado, etc.

For natural carbonation, place a bunch of bananas and a fruit mixture, such as a few apples and apricots, in a large paper bag. If paper containers are not available, a plastic bag may be used. But at the same time, natural ventilation can be provided.

Any cardboard box is also suitable, for example, a shoe box, where you can put bananas and apples, or any fruit, all this is placed in a warm place for a day. After 24 hours, the fruit is removed from under the closed lid, the green bananas will acquire a yellow color and an amazing taste. Normal content temperature is from 18 to 200 C.

The ripening of bananas in this way is accelerated for the simple reason that ripe fruits naturally release ethylene, which is so necessary for ripeness. It is believed that some vegetables, such as ripe tomatoes or potatoes, also release this gas.

There are other options to make bananas turn yellow:

1. Green bananas are wrapped in cloth and placed in a warm room. It is advisable that it be dark there.
2. You can speed up ripening in a plastic bag placed on the battery. To bring it to the desired ripeness in this way will only take a few hours.

Other ways to stimulate the ripening of green bananas

In addition to ripening bananas in a closed paper bag or box, popular rumor gives many other tips on how to make green tropical fruits ripen. The abundance of these options can be explained very simply: in the Soviet era, these fruits, like many other things, were in short supply. If bananas appeared on sale, they were bought up while still green, without allowing them to ripen. Of course, then everyone was faced with the question of how to make green bananas ripen . And here people became more sophisticated in every possible way. Below I will list some of these folk methods of “forcing bananas to ripen.” Some of them, for my taste, are quite exotic, but who knows, maybe they will help you:

• To allow green bananas to ripen, many people advise simply leaving them in a warm, dark place for a day or two. For example, put it on a shelf in a kitchen cabinet, preferably located higher - where the temperature is higher. Moreover, heat in this case is more important for ripening than the absence of light.
• In the Soviet era, this method of ripening bananas was very popular: divide the bunch into individual fruits and, wrapping each one in newspaper, put it in a warm place.
• Some netizens write that they can ripen bananas in a plastic bag with apples. But due to the lack of oxygen and high humidity, it is better not to leave them there for more than a few hours.
• To turn green bananas into yellow, you can also wrap them in cloth for two to three days and put them in a warm, dark place.
• There are people who claim that they can ripen bananas in a plastic bag on a radiator.
• In order to make bananas become sweet for preparing any culinary dish, it will take literally a matter of minutes. At a temperature of 150 degrees, they must be kept in the oven for 40 minutes. After this, the sweet pulp of the cooled and blackened banana can be squeezed into any container.

What to cook from overripe fruits

Fruits that are nearing the end of their shelf life can be used in delicious recipes. Very often they are added to baked goods - pies, cakes, puddings, muffins, cookies or banana bread, as well as to porridge and pancakes. For all these dishes you can also use the fruit after defrosting. Frozen fruit puree is suitable for making smoothies or soufflés.

Overripe bananas can be used to make dried fruits, or, as they are also called, banana chips. You can dry and dry the fruits in the sun, in the oven or in a special dryer. Such dried fruits can be stored for a year in any plastic containers, bags or glass jars.

Standard shelf life of bananas

The shelf life is determined by their maturity. For example, in specially equipped chambers the storage period can reach up to 2 months or more.

If you store bananas at home without putting them in the refrigerator, the fruit will begin to turn black the very next day. The shelf life of fruits can easily be extended to 7 days if you approach the storage issue correctly.

Green fruits, due to their immaturity, are stored longer than yellow ones - about 2 weeks. However, they can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Freezing ripe berries

To extend the shelf life of yellow fruits to several months, freeze bananas. Do not be afraid that after defrosting they will turn into mush, since the fruit will not lose its beneficial qualities and taste.

To freeze bananas, you must carry out the following procedures:

• Pre-wash the bananas and remove them from the peel and adjacent fibers.
• For storage, use whole or chopped fruits. You can turn them into puree using a blender or meat grinder with an appropriate attachment.
• The product prepared in this way is placed in a sealed plastic bag or plastic food container.
• The optimal temperature should be 15−18 degrees below zero.
• Tropical fruit should be defrosted at room temperature.

On a note! If you want to enjoy banana ice cream, you can eat the aromatic pulp of this fruit without defrosting.

Green or black?

We have examined the mechanism of maturation; I think it is worth dwelling in detail on its usefulness. Which banana is healthier, blackened or green? A few basic points at once

1. The nutritional value of any banana is approximately the same, i.e. unripe banana = ripe banana = overripe banana.
2. Any banana is good. As the degree of its ripeness changes, mainly its taste and aroma changes.
3. Any bananas (both green and yellow) contain the same amount of microelements

But everything else is special cases, one way or another related to the maturation process (see the picture above with the processes occurring during this). Let's start with the benefits of overripe (“black”/”brown”) bananas.

Firstly, a brown banana will have the maximum amount of antioxidants (of various classes, I will focus on this in subsequent articles), due to the fact that high molecular weight natural polymers are almost completely broken down by enzymes into shorter, but at the same time quite biologically active fragments.

Secondly, during the ripening process, a banana acquires maximum digestibility due to the complete hydrolysis of polysaccharides (like starch) into simple, easily digestible sugars. Overripe bananas are easier to digest and are an ideal option for those people who have problems digesting food.

Well, thirdly. The answer to the test is at the beginning of the article. Among the bananas presented at KDPV, banana number 8, with black spots, has the greatest medicinal effect. By the way, it is thanks to them that this effect manifests itself. The fact is that Chinese researchers discovered a special biologically active compound in black spots on the peel of overripe bananas - homodimeric fructose-binding lectin. For a better understanding, I will quote Russian Wikipedia:

Lectins (from Latin legere - to collect) are proteins and glycoproteins that have the ability to highly specifically bind carbohydrate residues on the surface of cells. Lectins are often involved in cellular recognition; for example, some pathogenic microorganisms use lectins to attach to cells of the affected organism.

In fact, these are incredible compounds because each lectin binds to its “own” carbohydrate residue as specifically as an antibody binds to an antigen, or an enzyme to a substrate. In the mentioned article, the authors predict the role of “banana lectin” as an accessible anti-HIV drug, which, among other things, has immunomodulatory and antitumor activity. So, next time, think about whether you should throw away such a “spotted” banana.

Now we move on to the green bananas, starchy and unripe. First of all, such bananas will be acceptable for people who do not like the sweet taste and those who suffer from diabetes, since green bananas contain a minimal amount of sugar. Green bananas have a lower glycemic index than their yellowed counterparts.

And most importantly, green bananas contain a large amount of so-called. “resistant” or indigestible starch that our little friends need. To explain what’s what, I’ll allow myself a small “microbiological” digression.

Taste and benefits of tropical fruits

Banana, from a botanical point of view, is a berry, but we have a custom of calling it a fruit, which not only delights with its sweet taste, but also brings great benefits to our body.

There are plenty of useful substances in bananas, and the list of them can take quite a long time. Eg:

• The composition of these fruits includes: vitamins “A”, “C”, “E” and minerals that improve health and improve all metabolic processes in the body.
• The presence of glucose and fiber contributes to the proper functioning of the intestines.
• B vitamins remove cholesterol, support lung function and promote the release of hemoglobin. These valuable qualities of the fruit are very necessary for diabetics who lack insulin. Among other things, the nervous system and eye muscles are strengthened, the absorption of information and, accordingly, memory improves.
• Regular consumption of fruits tones up the general condition and improves mood. Increases physical and mental activity.
• Banana pulp is used as face masks. Sugars give the body additional energy and vitality.
• Magnesium and potassium help the heart and brain function effectively.
• Bananas must be consumed to normalize blood pressure, as well as prevent the possibility of heart attack and stroke.
• This tropical fruit speeds up blood circulation, which is very beneficial for people who suffer from thrombosis.
• For hypertensive patients, banana is a miracle cure, as it lowers blood pressure without any pills. In addition, it helps well with constipation and diarrhea.
• Vitamin B also increases “male strength”, providing a rush of blood to the male genital organ, which helps improve potency.
• These sunny fruits help fight nicotine addiction and hangovers. In the morning, after a feast, you need to eat one banana, and the craving for smoking can be suppressed with one piece of this sweet fruit.

How to slow down ripening

If the period for eating fruit needs to be delayed, for example, there is a celebration coming up, and all products need to be purchased in advance. To do this, it is best to place bananas in the refrigerator, as high temperature accelerates ripening.

Proper storage of fruits and vegetables, including bananas, will help avoid food poisoning.

How to preserve bananas for several months?

This is possible! And here this advice comes to our aid :

We cut the ripe fruits, pack them in bags and containers and put them in the freezer. In such conditions, bananas can be easily stored for several months, and they can be used for desserts, cocktails, and added to porridge or baked goods.

Sources

• https://banany.jeanzzz.ru/dozrevanie
• https://miruspehinfo.ru/recept/produkty/kak-xranit-banany.html
• https://shefcook.ru/sovety/kak-pomoch-bananam-dozret-v-domashnix-usloviyax
• https://Make-eat.ru/zelenye-banany-sozrevayut-odin-chas-s-pomoshchyu-etogo-tryuka.html
• https://ru.wikihow.com/%D1%81%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%8C-%D1%82%D0%B0%D0% BA,-%D1%87%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B1%D1%8B-%D0%B1%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%8B-% D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%B7%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B8
• https://habr.com/post/434762/
• https://zen.yandex.by/media/id/5d1df2b4edee3600ad201589/5-sovetov-kak-hranit-banany-doma-chtoby-spelye-ne-cherneli-a-zelenye-dozreli-bystree-5df645be1a860800aeadb24c?feed_exp=ordinary_feed&from= channel&rid=2170626012.496.1580165753376.67749&integration=publishers_platform_yandex

Bananas in the refrigerator: is it possible or not?

If the room is too warm or the bananas are already starting to become overripe, you will have to decide on storing them in the cold.

Why do they turn black

Having returned home with purchases, including bananas, many immediately put a bunch of delicious beauties on the refrigerator shelf. Is it worth doing? It all depends on the ripeness of the fruits you purchased. The peel of bananas does not tolerate cold; at temperatures below 12 degrees, under the influence of fermentation processes, it turns black and loses all its positive yellow color . Of course, you can’t decorate a holiday table with such fruits. But the taste of the product, as many eminent manufacturers claim, is not lost at all and can be preserved for 1–2 weeks. So you will be able to please your loved ones with cocktails, smoothies and banana ice cream or cupcakes.

Place bananas on the middle shelf or in the refrigerator door.

3 ways to freeze bananas

If necessary, bananas can be frozen. Here are three simple options:

1. Entirely. Place peeled bananas on a cutting board, small baking sheet or thick sheet of cardboard so that they do not touch each other, then place in the freezer. Allow the fruits to freeze and harden well. Place the frozen fruit in a bag, close or tie it tightly, and place it back in the freezer. Bananas can be used for about 4 months.

   Place fruits to freeze, leaving gaps

   Read also:  Period and conditions for storing homemade cheese in brine, refrigerator, freezer

   Bananas can also be frozen with their peels on. It's faster. However, the shelf life of such a product is significantly shorter (about 2 months), and subsequent cleaning of frozen fruits will be more difficult.

2. Pieces. Cut bananas without peel into circles no more than 3 cm wide, place on a board, leaving 1-2 cm gaps, place in the freezer until frozen. Such actions are necessary in order to get pieces of frozen bananas, and not a large lump of frozen fruit. Place frozen fruit in a bag or container and store for 3-4 months for use in delicious shakes and cocktails.

   Cut bananas into small pieces for freezing

   The shelf life of frozen bananas does not exceed several months. In order not to get confused about time, it is worth indicating the freezing date on bags and containers with the product.

3. As a puree. Another storage option is freezing mashed bananas. Remove the peel from the bananas, place the peeled fruits in a bowl, puree with a blender or simply mash with a fork. Add a little lemon juice to the resulting mass (at the rate of 1 tablespoon of juice per 250 ml of puree). Mix everything thoroughly, transfer to a tightly sealed plastic container and place in the freezer. This preparation is best suited for baking.

   Frozen mashed bananas will keep for up to 4 months.

Lemon juice is used to prevent the banana mixture from darkening. It can be replaced with ascorbic acid. For a glass of puree you will need 1/4 teaspoon of acid diluted in 15 ml of water.

Video: how to easily freeze bananas