Q&A for How to Store Bananas

Overripe bananas are safe to eat. The real issue is your preference; when a banana is at its best for eating is a subjective decision and some people love overripe bananas, others find them too mushy and sweet. Try it to see if you like it. Do not any banana showing signs of mold or deterioration though; if in doubt, compost it. Another great use for overripe bananas is to bake them into a cake, muffins or cookies.

Try sprinkling the cut banana pieces with lemon juice before using in the pudding. Be sure to use the cut bananas immediately, by coating them in the custard or pudding mixture to prevent air accessing them and causing the browning via oxidation. Another trick is to assemble the pudding just before serving, so there isn't enough time for the browning to occur. However, if the bananas do turn brown, it's still completely safe to eat, just not as pretty.

Before refrigerating, bananas should be at the level of ripeness you want them to be. To prevent browning, wrap the bananas individually in newspaper or butcher's paper. Place the wrapped bananas in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, and they should be still yellow and the flesh will be just fine.

Once the bananas have ripened, separating them from the bunch is a good idea to prevent them from ripening any further in a speedy manner. However, this is space consuming and isn't really something most people have the time and space for doing. If you and your family/household members eat bananas quickly and regularly, it shouldn't really matter that the ripe bananas remain in a bunch, as long as they're eaten soon after ripening. Any bananas that ripen too quickly can be used in muffins, cakes, and other baked goods.

You should store bananas separately. If you store them with other fruit, the other fruit may ripen quicker and go bad before you can eat them.

In this case, the answer is that a few weeks is probably a little too long. Keeping refrigerated and using within a few days is recommended, but after that time, the mashed flesh may deteriorate or even have bacterial growth. Look at the color and texture and smell the mash, to determine how the thawed bananas seem to you. Anything that appears bad is a reason to discard the bananas.

If you plan to use it in the next couple of days, rinse well and store it in a Ziplock bag. Otherwise, you should freeze it.

It's not recommended but equally, it's not clear cut! The reason for not recommending storage of bananas in the fridge is that the skin will blacken (hence, they look awful) and they stop ripening because the ripening enzymes break down below 4ºC. That said, if the bananas are already as ripe as you'd like them to be and you don't mind the skin being blackened, then you can store them in the refrigerator. Some people actually prefer unripe banana flesh, so are not bothered that it won't ripen any further. The optimal storage temperature for bananas is around 10ºC.

Fruit flies are often attracted to bananas.

If you add lemon juice, they will stay nice and yellow and not turn brown. The same thing works with apples.

I store bananas in the microwave, which completely eliminated the fruit-fly problem.

If you are only concerned about the appearance of the light yellow color of the edible portion of the banana, you can store them in the fridge. The skins, however, will turn black using this method. I'm not aware of any method that would also preserve the yellow color of the skin.

Bananas left to ripen on trees split and become floury and unpalatable. This is one fruit that must be removed prior to ripening and allowed to ripen off the tree, so as to avoid the undesirable ripening qualities on the tree. Bananas are much better ripening in a bunch on your counter.

Put the mashed bananas into a Ziploc bag and leave it in the freezer until you are ready to use it.

Storing an unpeeled banana in a cupboard is fine, as long as you use it within a few days.

Use corn-on-the-cob holders to secure them while traveling, or use heavy-duty paper to wrap around them. You can also cut them into a container with a lid. Pour some pineapple (my favorite) lemon or orange juice over the pieces, close and carry.

Yes, as long as the freeze hasn't damaged them.

When you freeze a banana, it should turn black in a day or two. It should be great before one day, so don't forget about it.

It's caused by an uneven surface. Store bananas on a wooden cutting board or by hanging, also keep the tops covered in plastic.

They stop ripening in the fridge because the ripening enzymes break down below 4ºC.

Wrap each individual banana in newspaper and store in the salad compartment of the refrigerator. They will keep up to two weeks.

They store better fingers-down in case you want the ripening process to slow down. Having the stems up prevents the ripening enzymes passing down to the fruit easily.

Yes, they can attract gnats.

You put them in a plastic bag and put them in the freezer. You can also peel and cut up the banana and then put it in a bag and freeze it.

I have used locking lid containers with a paper towel in bottom to absorb moisture, then put them into fridge for 3-4 more days. It works very well.

You can store your fruit in the microwave when it's not in use.

Bananas can stored frozen for 6-8 months at the longest. Freeze them first on a cookie sheet for 2-3 hours before putting them into a freezer Ziploc (resealable) bag.

Separate the bananas from the stem. Put them all in a plate. Cover them all with a wet towel. Ensure that the towel never gets dry. It will keep the bananas fresh for a longer period of time, at least 4-5 days.