Yes, bananas can be refrigerated and why shouldn’t we refrigerate them? No one likes it when bananas ripen too much and attract fruit flies, seep yellow juice, and worst of all, give off a funky smell. The best solution to avoid it is to store the bananas in the refrigerator at the right time of the ripening process.
Thanks to a few kitchen hacks, you can now store bananas in the refrigerator. You must be thinking, “Have we heard it right? Can bananas be refrigerated?”. Yep, you have heard it right. With a few tricks, you can store bananas in the refrigerator.
The immense health benefits of bananas are known to everyone. They are extremely nutritious and are great if we can include them in our daily diet.
Still not convinced about whether you should store your bananas in the refrigerator? Well, hop on our journey where we will research whether it is fine if bananas are kept in the refrigerator.
Can bananas be refrigerated to slow ripening?
Yes, bananas can be refrigerated to slow ripening. But it all depends on which stage the bananas are in the ripening process. Remember, it makes a huge difference when you store the bananas at the correct stage.
Refrigerating bananas will slow down the ripening process, and in some cases even stop the process altogether. But refrigerating them during the right ripening process is the key to everything.
Here are a few refrigeration tips depending on the banana ripening stage:
- If you refrigerate them while they are still firm and not ripe enough, they’ll stay like that when you refrigerate them.
- If you refrigerate them when they are soft, they’ll remain like that or slowly ripen.
- If you refrigerate them when they have properly ripened, then it is most likely that they will stop ripening and stay like that.
So you see, bananas can be refrigerated to slow ripening. But the correct stage and timing matter a lot.
But before you jump off your bed and keep your bananas in the refrigerator, learn about some cautionary points. The cold temperature of the fridge can darken the skin of bananas, after which you will have to throw them away.
Not to forget, storing bananas at a temperature lower than the desired temperature will cause a “chilling injury” which gives a bitter flavor and discoloration to the bananas. So, you will have to discard them if you store them at a lower temperature for a longer period.
Overall, bananas can be stored in the refrigerator but not for a long time and you will have to keep certain points in mind before you store them.
Can bananas be refrigerated after peeling?
Yes, bananas can be refrigerated after peeling. You will, by the way, have to take some precautions as peeled bananas will go brown because of their exposure to oxygen in the air. A few precautionary measures will help you store the peeled bananas properly.
Let’s say that you peeled a banana to slice it and top your overnight oats with the sliced banana but after slicing half of it you notice that there is already a lot of banana on your oats and you do not have the heart to throw the other half. And that’s where the million-dollar question pops into your head: “Can bananas be refrigerated after peeling?” or “Is it safe to store peeled bananas in the fridge overnight?”
So, when a banana is peeled, it loses the natural protection that the skin offers. That means that you will have to create a layer of protection like its skin to prevent it from going brown or bad.
Here are the steps to store peeled bananas in the refrigerator:
- Firstly, you are going to dip the peeled banana in an acidic juice, such as lemon juice or diluted vinegar. For the vinegar, add a few teaspoons to a cup of water, depending on the ratio of the vinegar, to balance the sourness of the vinegar.
- Secondly, after dipping the peeled banana in lemon juice or diluted vinegar, wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap, and it’s good to put in the refrigerator. The acidic juice in the outer layer will slow down the oxidization while the plastic wrap will prevent any air from contacting the banana.
- Thirdly, make sure to not store them for more than three to four days.
With these careful steps and measures, you are good to store your peeled bananas in the refrigerator. Feel comfortable eating the peeled banana the next day.
How long can you keep bananas in the fridge?
The time duration for storing bananas in the fridge depends entirely on which stage it has been kept in the fridge. It all depends on the state of ripeness it was kept in and when it was kept in the fridge.
If you’re storing ripe bananas in the fridge, they will last for seven to ten days. You will notice that the peel of the bananas will darken after being kept in the refrigerator. But that is all fine as the banana itself is fine and edible.
If you are storing peeled bananas, they will last up to four days just like any other fruits. To know more about storing peeled bananas in the refrigerator, read the above section.
Benefits of Refrigerating Bananas
There are immense benefits to refrigerating bananas. Little do we know, there is science-backed-up information about storing bananas in refrigerators.
Let’s say that you want to make banana bread but the only time you get for your dedicated cooking/baking time is during the weekends. So, how to make the bananas stay fresh for a longer time? You can simply keep them in the refrigerator after they have reached your preferred level of ripeness.
Or you like having oatmeal topped with bananas in the morning to kick-start your day with a healthy meal but you find yourself with overripe bananas after storing them over the counter. No worries. You can keep the banana in the fridge overnight and the next morning, it will be as good as new.
Mimi Morley, a Senior Chef at HelloFresh, says, “Placing them in a cool environment once at your preferred level of ripeness can help prolong the shelf life. While the skin will continue to brown, the flesh of the banana will remain the same and can extend shelf-life by one week”.
To clarify the benefits of refrigerating bananas, it will help you to keep them for a longer time if you store them in the refrigerator. The actual banana will stay as fresh as a new banana but the skin will turn brown over time.
How far away should bananas be from other fruit?
Bananas should be kept at least six to eight inches away from other fruits if you are planning to store them on the countertop. Bananas, when kept with other fruits, absorb the ethylene released by them and start ripening at a faster pace.
To explain the entire science behind it, we should first know how bananas ripen themselves naturally. So, bananas emit ethylene gas themselves to ripen and when they are kept near fruits that also release ethylene gas as well, they ripen twice faster than their usual pace.
Usually, when we are storing bananas over the counter, we keep them in a fruit bowl along with other fruits. But that is not the correct way to store bananas.
When you store bananas with other fruits such as apples, kiwis, peaches, etc. they tend to release ethylene and start the ripening process of the bananas faster than their usual time.
To avoid storing bananas with other fruits, you can buy a banana hanger and hang the bananas in the kitchen far from the other fruits for better airflow. Or you can store the bananas in the refrigerator for longer shelf life.
But if you do not have a banana hanger or you do not want to store your bananas in the refrigerator, you can store them on the counter but they should be six to eight inches away from other fruits.
How to store bananas in the fridge?
There are two methods of storing bananas in the fridge. First, you can store them directly in the fridge and second, you can peel them and/or slice them and store them in the fridge.
For the first method, you can directly store them in the fridge. But it is not as simple as it sounds. Make sure that the bananas have reached your desired amount of ripeness and then store them in the fridge. When kept in the fridge, bananas do not ripen much and it also ensures a longer shelf life for them.
You may notice that the banana peel has turned brown but don’t worry about it. The banana itself will stay fresh and you will be able to enjoy it without any funky taste. Simply make sure to not store them for more than seven to ten days.
For the second method, you can store bananas even after you have peeled them. You will need to dip the peeled banana in any form of citric juice such as lemon juice and then wrap it tightly with plastic before keeping it in the fridge. If the peeled banana is wrapped airtight, it will last longer in the fridge and taste as good as any other fresh banana.
Remember, for both of the methods, you need to keep in mind the shelf life of the bananas. Do not keep the bananas in the fridge for more than their designated shelf life.
Should banana bread be refrigerated?
Yes, banana bread can be refrigerated to make it last longer, and enjoy it with your tea or coffee. We love our banana bread and if we can get to enjoy it for more than a few days, won’t that be great?
All your life you must have heard that storing banana bread in the refrigerator isnt a great idea as the bread may go dry or too cold for your taste. To avoid the dryness and chilliness in the bread, you must follow a few steps to store your banana bread.
Firstly, make sure that your banana bread is completely cool. If it isn’t cooled down properly, you will notice that the banana bread will become soggy. So, the first step is to cool down your banana bread properly.
Secondly, loosely wrap the cooled banana bread in a piece of parchment paper and then wrap it again tightly with plastic wrap. This step ensures that your bread stays moist in the refrigerator’s dry environment.
Thirdly, after you have wrapped your banana bread properly, keep it in an airtight container or zip-lock bag, and it’s good to go in the fridge.
You will find your banana bread in perfect condition when you take it out to enjoy it with your tea or coffee.
Do bananas last longer in the fridge or on the counter?
Bananas last longer in the fridge than on the counter.
The first thing that anyone does before storing the bananas in the fridge is to let the unripe banana reach their preferred ripeness level. This process lasts two to seven days.
Then when the bananas are kept in the fridge, they last from seven to ten days.
On the other hand, when they are kept on the counter, they have a shelf life of a maximum of five days.
Overall, bananas last longer in the fridge than on the counter.
What happens when you refrigerate bananas? (The Effects of Refrigerating Bananas on Flavor, Texture, and Shelf Life)
Refrigerating bananas affects bananas significantly. It changes the flavor, the texture, and also the course of their shelf life.
We know that when bananas are refrigerated, they ripen slowly. But did we know that once we bring the bananas back to room temperature, they taste off-flavored?
Scientists have discovered that storing bananas in the fridge causes the aroma-forming genes during ripening to be subdued. It has been found that it damages the fruit and subdues its aroma.
We always notice that storing bananas in the refrigerator causes the skin to darken over time. Do we know why?
Well, we will have that answer finally today.
Bananas are grown in a humid climate so they are unused to the cold temperature of the refrigerator. The enzymes in bananas that help them ripen, become inactive due to the cold temperature.
When these enzymes become inactive, other enzymes start working more effectively to compensate for the missing enzyme’s actions. Some enzyme ends up causing damage to the fruit cell while other enzymes darken the peels.
The texture of the banana doesn’t change much when you refrigerate it. If you are storing unripe or green bananas, the texture will remain as it stays for all unripe bananas: firm.
If you are storing a finely ripe banana, it will have the soft texture that ripe bananas usually have.
Now, onto the shelf life. Yes, the shelf life of bananas stored in a refrigerator is very different than in over-the-counter.
Typically, unripe bananas that are stored over the counter last about two to seven days before becoming ripe. Once ripe, they last from two to three days over the counter.
But when you store the ripe bananas in the fridge, they last from seven to ten days, which is much longer than over the counter.
Overall, the flavor and shelf life are different at room temperature and in refrigerators. However, the texture is not affected much.
Is it better to keep bananas in the fridge or on the counter?
It is better to store bananas on the counter than in the fridge. When stored on the counter, they ripen naturally and do not have any harmful effects that are caused when stored in the refrigerator.
When you store bananas at room temperature, they are living in their natural habitat. It allows the bananas to ripen within their own biological time.
But when we are storing them in the fridge, we are tricking them into lasting longer by changing their habitat after they have reached the desired level of ripeness. Moreover, the skin darkens when bananas are kept in the fridge, which prompts a lot of people to find them ugly and then throw them away.
Overall, many may prefer storing bananas in the fridge for longer shelf life but it is far better and yummy to store them on the counter.
Why do you not keep bananas in the fridge?
Many people prefer not to keep bananas in the fridge as it lessens the sweetness of the bananas and also darkens their skin, which makes them look ugly and less tempting to eat.
Moreover, if you simply buy unripe bananas, you will notice that they will have longer shelf life than ripe bananas. They will ripen in their own time and will not also lose their flavor.
It is better not to store bananas in the fridge if you prefer their sweet, creamy taste. The temperature of the fridge subdues the enzymes that give the bananas their flavorful taste.
What is the best way to store bananas? (The Different Techniques for Refrigerating Bananas (I.e., Storing in a Sealed Container, Peeling Before Refrigeration, Etc.).
The best way to store bananas is by peeling them before refrigeration. In comparison to storing bananas in a sealed container, storing peeled bananas has a longer shelf life.
Putting the banana in an airtight or sealed container is a good option when you know that you will be eating the banana in the next one or two days. It also reduces the chances of the banana peels going dark.
You can wrap the banana with plastic wrap and then put it in an airtight or sealed container. Wrapping the banana ensures that it doesn’t ripen while refrigerated.
This method ensures that the bananas stay edible for at least one to two days.
On the other hand, peeled bananas have a longer shelf life in the fridge than the previous one. They last three to four days and it does not affect their taste or appearance as well.
All you have to do is dip the peeled banana well into any form of citric acid such as lemon juice. After that, wrap the banana tightly in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge.
You will notice no brown spots on the banana or any change in the taste. But remember to use the bananas within three to four days of refrigeration.
Overall, the best way to store bananas is by peeling them before refrigeration as this method does not affect the taste or color much and lasts longer.
The Risks Associated with Refrigerating Bananas (I.e., Changing Color or Texture)
Yes, storing bananas in the refrigerator does have its risks. There can be changes in color and smell that many people may not like.
To start with, storing bananas at lower than desired temperatures could bring upon “chilling injury,” which causes a bitter flavor and discoloration in the fruit. The “chilling injury” is seen as brown skin, discoloration, pitting, abnormal fruit ripening, and softening.
The darkening of their skin makes bananas less tempting to eat. Although the flesh of the banana is completely edible, the “chilling injury” makes it look ugly and gives the banana a bitter taste.
As for the texture, if you keep a ripe banana, it will stay ripe for a few days. But if you keep an unripe banana, it will not ripen and stay hard. The banana hardens when it is refrigerated.
FAQs
Can bananas be refrigerated or frozen?
Bananas can be refrigerated and frozen. You can refrigerate them to prolong their shelf life but when you freeze them, they last longer than refrigerated bananas. Frozen bananas last six weeks while refrigerated bananas last seven to ten days.
Should bananas be refrigerated in hot weather?
No, they should not be refrigerated in hot weather. The ideal temperature to store bananas on the counter is around 12°C.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the benefit of refrigerating bananas is their prolonged shelf life, while the drawbacks are darkened skin, which makes the bananas less tempting to eat, the bitter flavor, and discoloration.
