Refrigerating Bananas Is A Major No-No. Here's Why

If fruits had feelings, bananas would be one of the most sensitive in the group. Sometimes it seems that out of nowhere, that bunch you were saving for breakfast has gone from a beautiful yellow to brown and mushy overnight, with seemingly no cause. Is it possible for the fridge to stop this madness and keep bananas from rotting? It might be able to help a little, but not if your fruit isn't ripe yet.

Refrigerating bananas isn't ideal at any stage of their aging process, but should be totally avoided if they are still green. The cold temperatures will halt the ripening (bananas thrive in warm environments), and the fruit may not resume aging even after being taken out of the fridge. The peels might also turn an unappealing black color, so you'll be stuck with pretty rough-looking bananas that don't taste great, either.

If your banana is perfectly ripe, on the other hand, placing it in the fridge could help keep it stable for another day or two. The peel will still likely turn black, but the fruit inside will remain edible. Be wary, however, as bananas are highly susceptible to a condition called "chilling injury" at fridge-cold temps, leading to off flavors. So, you can use the fridge as a last resort, but you might be better off letting your bananas ripen naturally and eating them ASAP when they're ready.

When coming home with a new bunch of bananas, it's important to know where and how to store them. First, keep your bananas at room temperature and away from direct sunlight, as the heat will cause them to age faster. It could also be worth it to buy a banana hook to hang your bunch on, which prevents bruising.

The key element in the banana ripening process is ethylene gas, a plant hormone that some fruits and vegetables produce to promote ripening. If you want to speed this up, you can try placing your banana in a paper bag, trapping the ethylene, and even adding in other ethylene-producing fruits, such as apples, pears, peaches, or tomatoes. Additionally, you can try wrapping the stem with aluminum foil or plastic wrap to trap in the gas. Conversely, if you want to slow down ripening, make sure to keep your bananas away from other produce and out of sealed bags or containers. 

If you end up forgetting about your bananas in the pantry and they are too brown for your liking, there's no need to throw them out right away. You can freeze your bananas, or better yet, make a spontaneous three-ingredient banana bread loaf.