Bananas

[lipreader]

Bananas seem to ripen very quickly, what is the best way to keep them fresh?

[CAJ1]

I read somewhere if you seperate bananas rather than leave them in a bunch they take longer to ripen - not sure how true it is though

[funnygirl]

I think caj is right, as at the weekend I brought some bananas, some were really green.

I put them all in the same bowl and today they are all yellow!

[PeteHull]

Bananas emmit a gas calle ethyline which is what causes them to ripen, it is produced during warm conditions and escapes into the atmosphere through tiny pores in the banana skin, that is why they go spotty... Bananas are good to ripen other fruit too by sealing the two together in a polythene bag and leaving for a period of time dependant on conditions Tomatoes react well to this treatment.

When bananas are imported they are green, and they used to be stored to ripen in banana houses filled with ethylene gas, i don't think they do this anymore tough.

The answer to the question therefore is to keep the bananas cool (they don't like fridges though (they turn black) however, once to ethylene process has started it is hard to stop.

hope this is helpfull to you.

Pete

[CAJ1]

Pete, you're a banana expert!

[PeteHull]

I used to know somone who handled them off the ship many moons ago, I have also read about it and handle them at my workplace too. They are very interesting fruits, if a wild variety was left on the tree they would turn into pods containing the seeds but they are cultivated for food, the little black specks inside the fruit are undeveloped seeds. the fruit is in 3 segments and delisious to eat... love em, they are a good source of potassium but too many would make you feel ill.

pete

[lipreader]

Thank-you all for your sensible answers. Finding a cool place this time of the year is a problem.
We tend to keep them sealed in a Tupperware type box,
but judging from what Pete has said, I would think that is totally unsuitable.

[redcrx]

i keep mine in the fridge. Yes they go black, but thats just the skin, the flesh is still as good as when they went in.

Ive kept them in fridge for up to 2 weeks with no problem

[Mr Veritas]

The banana plant is NOT a tree,rather it is the largest herb in the world!