Cover the banana’s stem tightly with plastic wrap. Make sure the wrapping is tight enough to keep the banana safe, but not too tight to damage it.
Step 3: Keep at room temperature.
Once the banana stems are covered, the bananas are prepared for storage.
Choose a good place: Put the bananas in a fruit bowl or on a counter. Don’t put bananas in the fridge because they can get brown or black due to the cold.
Keep the items at room temperature, preferably in a cool, dry location. Stay away from places with strong sunlight or too much heat, as these can speed up the ripening process.
Step 4: Check often.
It is important to check your bananas often to make sure they are ripening as you want.
Check the bananas every day to see if they are ripe. If they become as ripe as you like, you can take off the plastic wrap.
If you see that they are getting ripe too fast, you can put more plastic wrap on them to make them ripen more slowly.
Why does this approach succeed?
This method works well because it can manage exposure to ethylene gas. By covering the banana stems, you decrease the ethylene gas that is let out, which helps slow down how quickly the bananas ripen. Moreover, by keeping the bananas apart, you avoid them producing too much ethylene gas in one place, which helps them stay fresh for longer.
This technique is very helpful because it lets you have fresh bananas for a longer time without needing to put them in the fridge, which can change their texture and taste.
