By Alice Sjoberg
Copyright walesonline
There are few experiences more maddening than watching freshly purchased fruit deteriorate before your very eyes, long before you’ve had the opportunity to enjoy it. Bananas serve as the quintessential breakfast staple; whether slathered on toast or stirred into porridge, they provide a wonderful beginning to any morning. However, bananas ‘ tendency to go bad quickly often puts people off purchasing them in larger quantities. Several individuals will find their bananas begin developing spots and decomposing within just 24 hours, resulting not only in squandered cash but also drawing bothersome fruit flies throughout the summer period. While there are various uses for overripe bananas, including banana loaf or other confections, most folk would undoubtedly prefer their bananas to remain fresh for extended periods. An individual recognised online as ‘@sim_simmer__’ has turned to TikTok to reveal the ultimate household tip on how utilising one ordinary household item can help keep bananas fresh for longer. In the clip, she demonstrates cutting a small rectangular section of kitchen foil, though she mentioned cling film functions equally well. Ensuring the reflective surface faces outward, she proceeds to wrap the banana stems securely together. “We’re doing this to keep the ethylene gas in the stem,” she clarified, explaining if it penetrates the banana, it will accelerate ripening and spoilage. Bananas naturally generate a plant hormone known as ethylene which triggers ripening by breaking down cellular walls, transforming starches into sugars, and rendering them softer and more flavoursome, according to BBC’s Science Focus. Since bananas emit substantial amounts of this gas, they can speed up the maturation process in other ethylene-responsive produce. This explains why bananas are frequently kept apart from fruits such as apples and pears, as the ethylene will similarly cause these items to deteriorate more rapidly. While it might appear attractive and practical to store all your fresh produce together in a single fruit bowl, experts advise keeping bananas separate to prevent ethylene distribution. The majority of ethylene escapes through the stem, which is why covering this area with kitchen foil or cling film is advised. This barrier captures some gas at its origin and delays the signal from reaching the remainder of the fruit. Some experts also suggest using a banana hook to suspend the fruit specifically, preventing bruising from resting on kitchen surfaces, as damage also increases ethylene circulation within the produce. Viewers were swift to express their astonishment in the video’s comments section, with one person commenting: “I wish I saw this like a week ago.” Another individual enquired whether bananas should be refrigerated or kept at ambient temperature after wrapping the stems, to which the content creator suggested maintaining them at room temperature.
