Everyone loves a fresh banana — until they turn brown in just a few days. But there’s a clever little trick that can keep your bananas yellow and firm for up to 10 days longer, using something you already have in your kitchen.
The secret? Plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
Here’s how it works: bananas naturally release ethylene gas from their stems, which speeds up ripening. By tightly wrapping the stems with plastic wrap or foil, you block much of that gas from spreading to the rest of the fruit — drastically slowing down the ripening process.
How to do it:
- Separate the bananas from the bunch if possible.
- Wrap each stem (or the whole bunch’s stem) with a small piece of plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
- Store them at room temperature, away from sunlight or other fruits like apples that emit ethylene gas.
For an extra boost, you can also hang your bananas instead of leaving them on the counter — it prevents bruising and keeps air circulating around them.
With this simple hack, you can finally enjoy your bananas for over a week longer — fresh, yellow, and perfectly sweet every time.