Bananas will 'last for 15 days' if you store them with 1 household item in the fridge

Bananas, the cherished portable and adaptable fruit, have consistently remained a staple due to their practicality and use in numerous dishes. However, these potassium-packed treats are well-known kitchen culprits, maturing according to their own schedule and releasing ethylene gas that accelerates the deterioration of surrounding produce. Fortunately, there's a clever method to slow down the ripening process and maintain your bananas' yellow appearance for an extended period.

To prevent bananas from going off prematurely and being relegated to smoothies or banana bread components, Facebook members in the Simple Savers group have been exchanging their favourite storage recommendations. An anonymous contributor on the Simple Savers Facebook page proposed that bananas ought to be separated from other fruits, with a brown paper bag potentially being the solution to prolonging their freshness, reports the Express.

Their guidance was straightforward: "To the person who said their bananas did not last two days and then had to make banana cake. Storing bananas anywhere near other fruit makes them subject to 'off-gassing', which hastens the ripening of the bananas.

"Bananas need to be stored well away from all other fruit at home to prevent this. You may like to keep them in a brown paper bag with the top rolled over and pegged down if space is tight in your kitchen area. Doing this will prolong their life and save you."

This encouraged fellow group participants to reveal their own banana conservation techniques, with numerous members championing refrigeration as the ultimate answer. Greg Rose disclosed his banana storage technique, explaining: "I store my bananas in the crisper of my fridge and take two out for breakfast. Works for me."

Deborah revealed her approach: "I keep mine in the fridge, and this stops them from getting overripe."

Julie Hart cautioned about the visual compromise: "Put them in the fridge, they will go black on the outside but will still be fine to eat (not mushy)."

Another person discovered that wrapping the stems in newspaper before placing bananas in the refrigerator prolonged their freshness.

Mark Horne unveiled his method: "Wrap the stems in newspaper and store in fridge, lasts for around 15 days. Take out day by day when needed. Stored them bare in the fridge before, and they didn't last as long."

A different strategy was recommended by someone who champions using a damp paper towel around the stems, eliminating the requirement for refrigeration.

Leigh Btchelor described their household's technique: "My dad wraps the banana bunch end in a wet paper towel and they stay great for ages, even in the fruit bowl with other fruit, has to be kept damp though if it dries out, it goes straight off."