Banana tips - First in a Series!



The Funky Monkey:
Banana Expert

The Funky Monkey loves bananas-- especially in our strawberry-banana smoothies!  Do bananas ripen too fast at your house?  Here are some funky "banana tips"on how to keep his favorite fruit nice and fresh.
   
Keep the fruit in a well ventilated space and, if possible, place the bunched fruit on a banana stand. It turns out ethylene gas is one of the main causes of bananas ripening too fast and turning brown.  Air circulation will minimize exposure to a naturally occurring gas emitted by the fruit called ethylene. The gas also accelerates the ripening process.
     Another way to minimize ethylene exposure for your bananas is to separate each banana physically from the bunch.  Also keep the bananas away from other fruit (like apples) that have already ripened or been bruised. Such fruit will give off large amounts of ethylene gas, which, again, will hasten the ripening process.
     The other reason bananas ripen before their time is heat.  Keep the fruit away from heat sources such as direct sunlight. Heat will accelerate the ripening process so don't put them in a window.
     You can also freeze bananas to slow down the ripening process, but the skins will turn brown... stay tuned for more about frozen bananas in our next Banana Tips!