Banana is one of the most common tropical fruits on the store counter. It can replace a full snack and restore wasted energy. The tender pulp is very tasty and fragrant, adults and children like it. Connoisseurs of tropical yummy would be happy to stock up, but they don’t always know how to store bananas. A capricious fruit strives to turn black, overripe, or even deteriorate. The article describes a few tricks that will help prolong banana enjoyment at home.

Finding the perfect bunch of bananas in the store is pretty easy. The main thing is to know for what purposes you are acquiring fruits:

• Uniformly yellow fruit with a greenish stalk inside contains sweet tender pulp without any traces of darkening, has a round cross section. It is better to eat such a fruit within the first days after purchase. But in the article we will tell you how to save bananas so that they do not turn black, and we will help prolong the pleasure of eating this valuable product.
• The fruit with a green skin and ribbed edges has a sweetish grassy taste. If properly transported and stored prior to sale, it should be able to mature naturally in your home within a few days. This is convenient for preparing a holiday or creating a small stock.
• If the banana peel is covered with a small amount of dark spots, the inside will be incredibly sweet, honey-colored flesh with a rich aroma. But only after a few hours under room conditions, it will begin to darken and turn into gruel. Such fruits should be eaten immediately or used for cooking various dishes.

Tip of the day

If the greenish or yellow peel has a dull gray tint, don't buy it. Such a fruit was stored in violation of the temperature regime and will not be able to ripen, and inside there will be a tasteless pulp.

How to avoid blackening of ripe fruits

If you are concerned not only with the taste of the pulp, but also with the aesthetic appearance, it is important to know how to store bananas so that they do not turn black at home. But first, let's figure out what causes the darkening of the peel.

Cause of blackening of the skin

The delicate skin of a tropical fruit performs a protective function. The blackening is caused by the breakdown of the polyphenol oxidase enzyme. This process occurs as a result of a decrease in the temperature background below 10 ° C. Cell membranes are destroyed faster, which leads to an acceleration of the reaction.

If you take such a fruit out of the refrigerator, the destruction process will accelerate. That is why you can not store bananas in the refrigerator, but the pulp will not suffer at all with this method.

Conditions and shelf life of the fruit

Optimal conditions banana storage at home:

• temperature 15-18 °C;
• humidity 60-80%.

According to GOST, tropical fruits should be stored in a warehouse at a temperature background of 13-14 ° C and air humidity of at least 85%. An exotic crop is first treated with a nitrogen-ethylene mixture containing 5% ethylene. Gas accelerates the process of turning starch into sugars, spurs maturation. After that, fruit boxes are delivered to retail outlets.

For better preservation, the fruits can be treated with phenol, which is harmful to health, so store-bought bananas should be thoroughly washed before consumption.

Do you know that…

If the fruit bought in the store in the morning looked like coal, it was “frozen” in the warehouse, that is, it was stored in violation of the temperature regime.

Where to store ripe bananas?

The answer to the question of where to store ripe bananas depends on the goals pursued by the hostess. To speed up the ripening process of fruits, room temperature is acceptable. If you plan to delay this process as much as possible, use a cool dark place - a pantry, a basement. Some simple tips will help you maintain the beautiful appearance and taste of the pulp:

• When you arrive home, remove the purchased fruits from the plastic bag. This material contributes to the accumulation of condensate, which will lead to rapid spoilage and rotting of fruits.
• Place the fruit in a wooden bowl, paper bag, or use a grape stand.
• Store specimens with a greenish stem away from heat sources and direct sunlight.
• To avoid rapid skin blackening, hang the bunch in a cool, well-ventilated basement or close it in a dark closet where the temperature does not rise above 15°C.
• Ripe fruits release ethylene, which accelerates the ripening of the "neighbors". Unripe fruits, on the contrary, intensively absorb the released gas. If ripe bananas and unripe or avocados are placed in a paper bag, you can delay the appearance of dark spots by 1-1.5 days. This will make the apples ripen faster.
• You can limit the intake of ethylene with a simple trick. Wrap the leg of each banana or the entire bunch with cling film, foil, and secure with tape on top. When picking fruits from the brush, do not forget to rewind the common stem again.

Tip of the day

When purchasing a tropical fruit, pay attention to the integrity of the peel. Pathogenic microorganisms can penetrate inside the damaged skin, which will affect your health.

Refrigerator - friend or foe?

Can bananas be stored in the refrigerator? Of course, if their skin has already begun to become covered with dark spots. The refrigerator compartment will slow down the circulation of ethylene, which will preserve the density and sweet taste of the pulp. When the beautiful appearance of an exotic fruit can no longer be saved, it is advisable to move it to the refrigerator. This will keep the fruit from overripening too quickly.

• Put it in a paper bag, but don't put it on the shelf next to ripe fruit.
• To save space, it is best to separate each banana from the common base and wrap the stem as described above.

In this form, the density of the pulp will remain for another 7-10 days.

Bananas can be dried in the oven by cutting them into pieces. Dried, they will keep for up to a year.

Freezer storage

You can freeze bananas, which will extend the shelf life up to 2-3 months. After defrosting, the pulp will certainly turn into gruel, but will not lose its taste and useful qualities. Useful for making cocktails, pastries, sweet sauces, additives to cheese masses and cereals.

Freeze bananas like this:

• Pre-wash the fruit, free from the skin and adjacent fibers.
• For storage, lay whole fruits or chop them with a knife, turn them into puree with a blender.
• Place the prepared product in plastic food containers, a plastic bag with a zipper.
• The packaging must be sealed.
• The optimum temperature is not higher than minus 18 °C.
• Defrost at room temperature.

Note to the owner

You can not defrost the fragrant pulp, but eat it as a healthy banana ice cream.

Ripening green fruits at home

How to make green bananas ripen at home? As easy as pie:

• Leave them on the kitchen table for 3-5 days.
• Already ripe fruits placed in one paper bag with green bananas will help speed up the process.
• It is best to use a special hanger or stand, then the fruit will ripen evenly.

How to store peeled bananas

Don't know where to put banana slices after the holiday?

For a short time, lemon or lemon will help to prolong its freshness, which should be sprinkled with slices. The acid will slow down the browning, but it will not protect against quick spoilage. That's why the best way storage of fruit slices will become freezing.

What to cook with overripe fruit

Overripe bananas have loose sweet pulp and are not suitable for cutting, fruit salads. Throwing away such a product is a waste. Even overripe fruits are suitable for culinary purposes.

In countries where bananas are the basis of nutrition, they are baked, fried, canned, served as a side dish for fish, sauces and honey are made from them.

The hostesses offer to cook the following delicious dishes:

• Banana or cupcakes. Add 2-3 banana puree to cupcake batter.
• Milkshake. Half a liter, a couple of bananas and 200 g of vanilla ice cream should be whipped with a blender. Favorite drink for kids.
• Fruit smoothie. A little experimentation with useful ingredients will help enrich the taste of the drink.
• Fragrant pancakes. Add to mashed 2 fruits for a delicious breakfast.
• Sauces and gravies. Kill the bananas with a blender and pour the resulting mass over sour-milk, or oatmeal, semolina porridge. Such dishes will appeal to both adults and children.

Just 2-3 bananas will transform the taste of your favorite dishes. Smoothies and cocktails are better to drink immediately, and pastries can lie for several days, although your favorite sweet tooth will eat them faster.

Knowing how to properly store bananas at home, you can make small stocks of healthy fragrant fruits. Even excess of this product can be properly preserved by freezing or processing.

Store properly and be healthy!

Bananas are usually brought to us unripe, because. their ripening period is very short, they are transported in specially equipped refrigerated containers. The bananas are then dosed (gassed) before they are sold for uniform ripening.

In stores and supermarkets, the banana is stored under certain conditions to prevent its early ripening. We cannot create such conditions at home, so in this article we will look at how to keep bananas in an apartment.

How to store bananas at home

Bananas are a perishable product, so you need to remember a few simple rules where to store bananas at home and how to store bananas so that they do not turn black.

• Do not store bananas in the refrigerator, their skin will turn black;
• Avoid plastic bags, it is better to leave the fruits open;
• If you buy bananas for the future, take slightly unripe fruits;
• Do not take bananas with visible defects - black dots or dents.

How to keep bananas longer at home

The ideal temperature for storing bananas is 13-14 degrees and the humidity is 85-90%. You can try putting the fruits in a cool basement or cellar, then their shelf life can be extended. You also need to avoid direct sunlight, otherwise the bananas will quickly turn black.

How to store green bananas

If you took unripe bananas, then their shelf life depends on the degree of maturity and storage conditions. As it was written above, the ideal temperature is 13-14 degrees. But you can resort to other methods.

But where to store unripe bananas is a difficult question, ideally, of course, a damp basement with a temperature not lower than 13 degrees and not higher than 17 degrees. But you can save it in an apartment by putting it in a well-ventilated and cool room, however, the shelf life will then decrease.

How to save bananas so they don't turn black

Bananas usually turn black from hypothermia, if their storage temperature is below 13.3 degrees, they will definitely turn black. An overripe banana can also turn black, so you should try to store them properly and eat them as they ripen.

How to store bananas in the refrigerator

As we wrote above, it is not recommended to store bananas in the refrigerator, however, if it happens that you have a lot of bananas and there is no way to use them, then placing them in the refrigerator will only spoil the appearance, storage in refrigerators will not affect taste. Try to find the warmest place in the refrigerator, such as in the door or on the middle shelf. Also, do not put them in a plastic bag, preferably in a paper bag.

How to store a banana smoothie

We've looked at how to keep bananas fresh, but you can keep the bananas fresh by making them a smoothie. Since bananas begin to disappear from the skin, by making a banana smoothie you will avoid rotting, and you can use a fresh banana in the form of a drink. If the cocktail is made on the basis of fruits and berries, then it can be stored in the refrigerator for a longer time in a tightly closed container.

The shelf life of such a cocktail is 2-3 days. Cocktails with the addition of milk are best consumed during the day.

Banana leaf: storage conditions

Banana leaves are gradually entering our lives as table decorations and for cooking. For themed parties, they are used as plates. The use of leaves instead of foil, for cooking in the oven or on the grill, allows you to make dishes unusually juicy, because. banana leaf does not allow moisture to evaporate.

It is better to store banana leaves at a temperature of 0 degrees and a humidity of 95-100%.

Bananas are tropical fruits that can be found on the shelves of supermarkets and markets throughout the year. However, due to the long period of transportation, they are often plucked underripe or green. Information on how to store bananas of varying degrees of ripeness and prevent them from turning black or spoiling will help housewives create optimal conditions for these fruits that will allow them to be served fresh and ripe.

How to choose the right bananas

These Exotic fruits, which have a pleasant and sweet taste, also have many useful properties for the human body and contribute to the improvement of his well-being. They positively affect the state of the heart muscle, bone strength and normalization of digestive processes, replenish the body with vitamins and microelements. Tryptophan, found in bananas, is a natural antidepressant that helps prevent depression and improve emotional mood.

When buying fruits in a store, you should know in advance how you plan to use them, because their choice depends on it:

• overripe fruits are poorly stored, so they must be eaten immediately;
• ripe bright yellow fruits have a tight skin, a sweet taste and a banana aroma, they are eaten fresh, in desserts or pastries, it is better to eat them faster before they go bad;
• if bananas are not needed immediately, then it is recommended to buy fruits of yellow-green or green color, i.e. immature;
• it is not recommended to buy copies with damage to the peel, because. they are not stored and may be hazardous to health;
• if there are gray spots on the skin, then this indicates that the correct storage conditions are not observed, so the fruit will quickly deteriorate and their use will be dangerous to health.

Standard shelf life of bananas

The duration of storage of tropical fruits depends on several factors, the main of which are the degree of their maturity and storage conditions:

• in the room, ripe fruits begin to deteriorate the next day;
• subject to all the rules, the shelf life of bananas while maintaining their nutritional qualities is 1 week;
• green fruits are stored for 2 weeks, provided that the desired temperature and humidity are maintained;
• bananas can be stored in the freezer for 2-3 months.

In industrial warehouses, these fruits are stored in chambers with a temperature of + 12 ... + 14 ° C, where they lie wrapped in packaging film for 28-50 days. Before entering stores for fast food bananas are treated with ethylene for consumption, feeding it into the chambers. The gas stimulates maturation and improves palatability.

How to store ripe bananas at home so they don't turn black

The appearance of black spots on the skin of the fruit is due to the loss of moisture, which occurs due to the lack of a hard shell (as in oranges or pineapples). A banana deteriorates in stages, passing through several stages: first, its peel begins to darken, then the flesh, as a result of which the taste of the fruit deteriorates. It becomes unfit for food, and when mold appears, it becomes dangerous to health.

Tips for the best way to store bananas so they don't turn black and stay fresh for 2-3 days include the following:

• when buying, you should select fruits with a green stalk, because. they are better preserved;
• carefully separating the fruits, it is necessary to wrap the tail of each in a polyethylene film (fix it with adhesive tape on top for reliability), which will slow down the overripening process;
• you can influence the slowdown in the ripening process by placing unripe fruits (apple, pear, etc.) next to bananas;
• their storage in plastic bags is not allowed.

Overripe fruits can be stored in the refrigerator for only 2-3 hours, but it is best to consume them immediately or within 24 hours after purchase.

Where is the best place to store

The most effective way is to hang the fruits, each separately (provided that the integrity of the tail is maintained). It is best to store bananas in a small box, which must be placed in a cool place (pantry or dark cellar).

Ripe bright yellow fruits can be hung on a special stand with a hook, in which they can also be served on the table.

You should know that bananas cannot stand the action of sunlight and the proximity of artificial heat sources (heaters or radiators) - they immediately deteriorate, not having time to ripen.

At what temperature

To keep fruits fresh, it is necessary to observe the regime of optimal temperature and humidity.

Ripe fruits are stored under the following conditions:

• the optimal storage temperature at which bananas can lie for 2-3 weeks is + 13 ... + 15 ° С;
• at +11…+12°С storage time is 72 hours;
• if the temperature drops below +10°C, the peel darkens within 1 night;
• at + 15 ... + 20 ° С - fruits can be stored for 3 days;
• above +20°C - no more than 5-6 hours.

Temperature +15…+18°С is used for ripening green bananas.

Can you put it in the refrigerator

This method of keeping is not considered completely suitable, but it helps to preserve tropical fruits for a short period of time.

They can be put in the refrigerator in the following cases:

• when the peel is just beginning to darken and brown spots and dots appear;
• if after the departure of the guests there are sliced ​​\u200b\u200bbananas that need to be saved;
• when at in large numbers fruit in the apartment there is no cooler place suitable for their preservation.

To store bananas in the refrigerator with the least loss to their taste and appearance, you should listen to the advice of experts:

• each whole fruit is best wrapped in paper;
• the optimal placement is in the middle of the refrigerator door;
• chopped fruit must be peeled, sprinkled with lemon juice and put in a plastic container, tightly closed with a lid - it is allowed to store them in this form in the refrigerator, but not more than 24 hours.

Where to keep green bananas so that they ripen

When it is necessary to stock up on tropical fruits for long-term storage, it is recommended to choose unripe green fruits in the store. They form dense clusters, which are separated into separate specimens only with some effort. However, within 4-5 days, with proper storage, unripe fruits already acquire a soft yellow color and a pleasant taste.

When ripening in green fruits, the following changes occur:

• vegetable starch is converted into sugar;
• the chlorophyll contained in the peel gradually breaks down, and the peel becomes yellow.

Ripening bananas is best done by the following method:

• put the fruits in a box or paper bag and put in a dark place ( glazed balcony, cellar or basement);
• optimum temperature - + 13 ... + 14 ° С;
• to increase humidity (at least 70% is required), it is recommended to place a bowl filled with water nearby;
• to stimulate ripening, experts advise putting ripe apples or pears in a bag or box with bananas.

If it is necessary to urgently ripen unripe fruits, then it is recommended to hang them in the apartment, but choose a place away from electric heaters or heating appliances. In such a place, bananas will ripen within a day, but in terms of taste they will be worse than those that ripened slowly.

Is it possible to freeze bananas for the winter and how to do it

Freezing is a great way to preserve flavor and healing properties fruits, especially overripe ones. The product prepared in this form can be taken out of the freezer at any time to make a delicious dessert or a cold cocktail from it.

There are several ways to store exotic fruits in the freezer, the easiest of which is to freeze the fruits with the peel. To do this, they are laid out in bags one by one, wrapped, inscribing the date of freezing. In this form, they can lie up to 60 days. However, the banana skin immediately darkens after defrosting, and the flesh becomes watery and tasteless.

More convenient are the methods of freezing bananas without peel:

• peel the fruits and cut into circles, arrange in bags or food containers, and then put in the freezer;
• it is also allowed to store whole fruits without skins, but they must be put in a plastic container, having previously sprinkled with lemon juice, it is better to freeze them in containers with a closed lid;
• prepare banana puree with a blender, add a few drops of lemon juice and spread in portions into silicone molds, then put in the freezer.

Compliance with all the freezing rules allows you to store bananas for 2-3 months. Once defrosted, they can be used to make fruit puree, add to pastries or desserts (cocktails, creams, smoothies, etc.).

Features of storing peeled bananas

During the preparation of some dishes (fruit salads, etc.), peeled fruits are used. However, under the action of air, they begin to darken quickly, which is why they no longer look so appetizing.

In such a situation, it is permissible to use 2 methods:

• sprinkling the exposed parts of the fruit with lemon juice or pineapple vinegar helps preserve fresh look fruit for 2 hours;
• soaking fruit in a vinegar solution (in a ratio of 1:4) for 3-5 minutes, and then storing them in a cool place in an airtight container allows you to keep them for 3 days without losing taste.

The above tips on how to store bananas at home using a refrigerator, cellar or freezer will help many housewives create optimal conditions for keeping fruit. However, it is better to eat them right away when they are tasty, ripe and fragrant.

Recently, I had a question - how and where to store bananas so that they remain fresh and tasty. I found answers. I will try to help you figure out how to store bananas correctly.

How to keep bananas fresh?

Bananas are a perishable product. But, despite the fact that their price is very attractive, it is undesirable to buy them for the future. However, even a few purchased fruits must be stored properly to prevent darkening and spoilage.

Rule 1. Optimal storage conditions

1. Best of all, these fruits will be stored at a temperature of +13 ... +14 ° C. In this case, sudden changes in temperature should be avoided.
2. Ideal air humidity for storing bananas - 85-90%. If you have a basement or cellar, keep it there.
3. Air circulation. It is best to keep these fruits in a well ventilated area.
4. Whole bunches keep longer if you wrap the leg in tape or polyethylene.

Bananas should not be stored in a plastic bag - it retains moisture and can cause rotting of the fruit.

Rule 2. Degree of maturity

You, of course, noticed that in the store you can buy bananas of different colors. And this indicator must be taken into account during storage:

1. Greens- unripe fruits. Their clusters are quite dense and difficult to separate. The pulp of green fruits is not very sweet and has a slight taste of grass. It is these bananas that are stored for the longest time and ripen in the process.

1. yellow- ripe fruits, completely ready for eating. They have a pleasant aroma, taste and texture.

1. Darkened with black spots- overripe fruits that can be eaten.

Rule 3. Peculiarities of storing yellow fruits in the peel

Can bananas be stored in the refrigerator? A logical question, but not everything is so simple. Fruits of varying degrees of maturity need special conditions and periods of storage.

A simple instruction will help you understand all the intricacies and act correctly.

Image	Storage Features
	Storage of green fruits: Green fruits should never be kept in the refrigerator or freezer. You can leave them at room temperature and let them ripen. To ripen gradually and evenly, it is better to place a bunch of green bananas in a dark paper bag for five days. The temperature should not exceed 20 °C. If you put bananas next to ripe apples, fruits will ripen faster. After the bananas turn yellow, they can be transferred to a fruit bowl and stored at room temperature.
	Storage of yellow fruits: Choose a cool place away from direct sunlight. A whole bunch can be divided into individual fruits for easy storage. It is advisable to wrap the leg of each with tape or foil This is to prevent damage to the fruit. If you put an unripe pear or avocado next to yellow bananas, this will help slow down the banana's overripe and keep it yellow.
	Storage of overripe fruits: Ripe fruit should be refrigerated. There they will darken evenly, and the flesh will remain dense and pleasant to the taste. But it is best to eat such fruits immediately. after purchase and do not store for more than a day.

Rule 4. Features of storing peeled bananas

In some cases, peeled bananas can be stored in the refrigerator.

Image	Storage method
	In the open air, fruits prepared for salad or slicing darken quickly, and when served on the table may look unappetizing. In this case it will help lemon juice or pineapple vinegar. Just drizzle the exposed parts of the cut fruit, and their color will remain unchanged for two hours.
	Fruits peeled and all threads can be stored in the freezer in sealed plastic containers. For convenience, they can be cut. The period of such storage can last up to six months. True, after defrosting, such bananas will be suitable only for homemade purees and other desserts.

What you should pay attention to?

• Bananas do not tolerate direct exposure sources of artificial heat or sunlight. They do not sing, but immediately deteriorate.
• If there are gray spots or traces of mold on overripe fruit, this indicates violations of the rules of storage or transportation. Buying such fruits is not worth it - it can be dangerous to health.
• If you often buy ripe bananas, think about buying a special stand to store them.

Bananas are fruit flies' favorite treat. If you have these at home, it is better to keep the fruit in a closed paper bag or in the refrigerator.

After their ripening, special conditions are created in supermarkets so that ripe fruits do not turn black.

When buying bananas for future use, you need to store them properly at home.

How to keep bananas fresh: 4 rules for fruit preservation

To extend the shelf life of a perishable product, use methods proven by experienced housewives:

1. When buying bananas, whole bunches are chosen, the fruit torn off at the base begins to turn black. Fruits with a darkened skin, black spots, dried legs will quickly become unusable, it is better not to buy them. In exceptional cases, you can buy 1-2 yellow bananas and eat on the same day.
2. The refrigerator is an unacceptable option for preserving this product, in it the skin will quickly darken, become covered with spots. Room temperature is also not suitable, so they are placed in the basement, on the balcony during the cold season.
3. Increase the shelf life to two weeks, choosing unripe, slightly greenish specimens.
4. Drying of the peel leads to darkening of the fruit. By wrapping each fruit with cling film, you can slow down this process. But bananas cannot be wrapped in a plastic bag.

Optimal storage conditions

In order for fruits to remain fresh, not to lose their taste and useful properties, it is necessary to maintain certain conditions:

• Optimal temperature. The main reason for the loss of the presentation of the product is unacceptable temperature regime. Long storage time provides a temperature of +12 to +14 degrees. Standard + 22 ... + 25 degrees in the room are detrimental to fruits. And under the influence of cold in the refrigerator, they will quickly become covered with black spots.
• Required level of humidity. When the liquid from the banana skin evaporates, the flesh dries out and loses its shape. To prevent excessive evaporation of air, to save moisture, the legs of the fruit are wrapped with cling film, foil.
• Lack of direct sunlight. Under the influence of the sun, fruits quickly turn black and deteriorate.

How to store ripe bananas at home so that they do not turn black?

To slow down the process of darkening of the fruit, you need to separate all the fruits from the bunch, wrap the leg in food foil. So the stalk will not dry out, the fruits will retain their presentation for a long time.

Where is the best place to store?

When supercooled, the product turns black, when the temperature exceeds +22 degrees, the same thing happens.

Ideal storage location - a cool pantry, or the bottom shelf of a kitchen cabinet.

It is not recommended to leave bananas in the refrigerator for a long time. Exceptions are cases:

• If the fruits are already cut into circles, they are covered with a plate on top, eaten in the next 2-3 hours after being left in the refrigerator.
• If it is a hot summer, there is no cool corner in the apartment, there is no air conditioning.

They are placed on the refrigerator door, previously wrapped in soft paper.

At what temperature?

Ripe fruit storage conditions:

Can I freeze for the winter and how to do it?

When there are a lot of ripe bananas, it is impossible to eat them in the near future, the only way out is freezing.

Ripe, overripe fruits are suitable for freezing, green fruits are not used.

How to freeze bananas at home in the freezer:

1. Pre-peeled fruits are washed with running water to wash off ethylene and microbes. Excess moisture is blotted with a paper towel.
2. It is better to use a separate freezer container so that it does not contain other products.
3. The fruits are separated from the bundle, each is packaged in individual bags. The shelf life of frozen fruit is 8 weeks.
4. Bananas taken out of the freezer will turn brown, but this is only a peel. Under it, the fruit will retain its benefits, taste.

Where to keep green bananas so that they ripen?

Unripe fruits taste like grass. Therefore, housewives prefer to leave them to keep up. To speed up ripening, a bunch of fruit is hung on a hook in a place protected from daylight.

The temperature should not exceed +17 degrees, it is preferable to place the fruits in a pantry.

Important! To increase the shelf life of green fruits, you need to wrap the stalks in food foil. They should not be placed next to ripe bananas: the release of ethylene from them will significantly speed up the ripening process.

banana ripeness levels

The ability to determine its degree of maturity will help you choose a quality fruit.

There are 8 degrees of maturation:

1. The skin is green. The entire fruit from stem to tip does not have yellow spots.
2. A barely noticeable yellowness appears on the fruit, the stem and tail remain green.
3. Looking at the fruit in the hands, it is impossible to understand whether it is yellow or green.
4. The whole banana takes on a rich yellow hue, but the tail remains green.
5. The fruit is completely yellow, without darkening and admixture of greenery.
6. Dark spots appear on the sides.
7. The leg of the fruit is dry, and the whole skin is black.
8. When pressed, the peel cracks, the dark flesh is squeezed out. This is absolutely rotten fruit.

Features of storing yellow fruits in a peel

Keep bananas in the peel in limbo, it is better to choose whole bunches in advance. Bundles should not be placed near other fruits, they will begin to deteriorate under the influence of ethylene released by them.

Where to store ripe bananas?

TOP 4 places at home where ripe bananas are better preserved:

1. Cellar.
2. A kitchen cabinet with no other fruit.
3. Closed box on the balcony (suitable for the cold season).
4. Food container in the pantry.

Features of storing peeled bananas

If peeled bananas are whole, they can be frozen. The shelf life of the product will be about 12 weeks.

So that the fruits do not stick together, they are laid out on a cutting board at a distance from each other, leave it in the freezer for an hour. Then they are placed in resealable bags, write the day of freezing with a marker.

Freezing banana slices

If there is not enough space in the freezer, you can save it by cutting fruit into circles:

1. The fruits in the peel are washed with running water, peeled, cut into neat pieces.
2. Put the product on a cutting board so that the mugs do not touch each other. Sent for an hour in the freezer.
3. After an hour, the pieces are poured into a common bag, the date of freezing is written before being sent to the freezer.

Another proven way to save space in the freezer is to freeze banana mass.

It is better to grind the fruits in a puree not with a blender, but in a wooden mortar (the fruit will not come into contact with the metal, the food will darken less).

After grinding, the pulp is sprinkled with lemon juice, placed in a plastic container, and sent to the freezer. Just in case, it is better to indicate the date of freezing on the container.

Norms, terms of storage of bananas, with which it is impossible to store together

From the moment of harvesting the fruits (they are harvested in green form), bananas are stored for 40 days. On the shelves of stores where ideal conditions are created, fruits can lie for up to 30 days.

Ripe fruits are stored in the apartment for 2 to 4 days, depending on the conditions created. Greens will lie for 2-3 weeks.

In the freezer, whole specimens with peel are stored for no longer than 8 weeks, peeled - 2-3 months.

Bananas should not be stored with other fruits: apples, pears, plums. The exception is fruits with a dense crust, for example, watermelons.

Is it possible to eat overripe bananas

In its raw form, it is permissible to eat a fruit with a slight darkening of the peel, a small amount of black spots.

Fruits blackened by more than 40% can only be used for baking after heat treatment. There are many ways to prepare overripe bananas.

Conclusion. What are the benefits of bananas

Bananas provide the body with useful substances (potassium, zinc, calcium) necessary for the functioning of the cardiovascular system, organs of vision, and digestion.