Ripeness

When bananas are picked, they are green and unripe. At this stage the banana is very starchy and not yet sweet. As the banana changes from green to yellow to brown, starch is converted to sugar, making a brown banana the most sweet and creamy. Use yellow bananas when enjoying bananas immediately, as a snack or in a fruit salad. To prevent peeled bananas from browning, simply toss them with a little lemon or pineapple juice. Don’t know what to do with your overripe bananas? Don’t worry! Overripe bananas are ideal for baking muffins or banana breads. You can also save these bananas sliced in the freezer for shakes or smoothies.

Storage

Store bananas at room temperature and they will last three to five days. Bananas do not need to be refrigerated as storing them in the fridge will halt the ripening process. To prevent bananas from ripening too fast, wrap the stems in cling wrap to help the banana last 3 to 5 days longer. Otherwise, you can store fully ripened bananas in the fridge to prevent them from ripening too fast. Refrigeration will turn the peel brown, but will not affect the banana inside. To ripen bananas faster, store them in a sealed container such as a brown paper bag. You can also add another fruit (such as an apple) to the container to make the banana ripen more quickly!