I love bananas. Not only do they come with a nifty carrying case, they are great for providing quick, lasting energy on-the-go.
It’s the ultimate packaged food 😉
But the one complaint I hear from many clients on bananas is that they have trouble keeping them from going bad too quickly. Because the bunch ripens at the same time, within days they are all at that unappealing mush status that only a banana bread recipe could love.
But I’ve got a simple solution that will keep those bananas from going bad…well, going bad so quickly anyway.
Ready for it?
The answer is as close as your refrigerator’s crisper drawer.
I know, you’ve been told before that bananas will actually go bad faster in the fridge but the good news is that it’s only the peel that starts to turn sooner than it should. Check out the pic above. The fruit inside can stay fresh for about a week if you put them in the crisper drawer on low humidity when they are yellow with just a tinge of green.
Got bananas that are too green? Leave them out to yellow before putting them in the fridge or they won’t ripen as well.
WARNING: If you are going to send your kid to school with a black banana, I recommend you show them how this works at home first. My daughter sent home a half dozen decent bananas because she thought I was crazy enough to send her to school with a rotten banana.
Now she gets a kick out of showing her friends that you can still eat a black banana.
Side note- sometimes the ones that sit on the bottom end up with a gnarly soft spot while the rest of the banana itself is still good. To remedy this, I recommend storing the bunch so they face downward, resting on the stem end and bottom tips, rather than on the curved back.
Not sure if it’s worth sending to school? Squeeze the banana to check for firmness. If it’s got the firmness of a ripe banana, you’re good to go. Sense a squish?
Break out the blender…it’s smoothie time 😉
Whole wheat tortilla + peanut butter + banana= yummy lunch option!