How Long Do Bananas Last? Extending Shelf-Life & More

Anyone who’s ever bought bananas and then watched them slowly rot on the counter has asked themselves this question before. How long do bananas last and is there any way to extend their shelf life. This post will reveal (or unpeel) all there is to know. Answering the aged old question, and giving you the low down on how to extend their shelf life, how to go about using stale bananas, and more. 

» Also check out this post if you’re curious about extending your half-and-half in the freezer.  

Bananas have a short shelf life, due to their propensity to ripen and go bad quickly. Because of this, there is a bad, good, and better way to store them so they last the longest.

Most people purchase semi-unripe bananas at the store, meaning they are just slightly green and stiff, not yet yellow and “ripe” enough to eat. Then you leave them on the counter and eat them as they ripen. If you purchased too many, you might find that they go bad on the counter before you can eat them all. This is because of the rapid rate at which they age at room temperature.

How Long Are Bananas Fresh at Room Temperature?

If you bought the bananas semi-unripe, as discussed above, they can sit for about a week on the counter before they start to turn brown. If you buy a bunch of green bananas, they will slowly ripen over a week’s time, rather than going bad so quickly.

This is why most bunches of bananas are sold in varying stages of ripeness.

Just ripe bananas that have just turned fully yellow and are no longer stiff, will last for three days at room temperature before turning brown.

Of course, the rate at which the bananas ripen will vary depending on when you purchased them and where you live. However, one thing is for certain, if you want them to last for more than a week, you shouldn’t just leave them to ripen in a fruit bowl on the counter. There are better ways to store bananas.

When Do Bananas Go Bad in the Fridge? 

One trick to extending the life of a banana is to put them in the refrigerator once they have sufficiently ripened. If you’ve bought unripe bananas, let them ripen at room temperature before storing them in the fridge. As they turn fully yellow and start to soften, transfer them to the refrigerator.

Bananas can stay fresh and at peak ripeness in the refrigerator for seven to ten days. Once you’ve peeled or cut the banana, it can last for three days in the fridge, provided you’ve wrapped it up. Bananas oxidize as soon as they are peeled and begin to turn brown. Wrapping them back up in their peels will slow that process.

Can I Put Bananas in the Freezer?

The best trick of all for extending the life of a banana is to freeze it. Yes, frozen bananas last the longest and it doesn’t change the texture or flavor. This is a sure way to avoid wasting bananas that are going bad too quickly on the countertop or in the fridge, especially if you use bananas a lot (smoothie lovers will know!).  

Pop them in the freezer unpeeled, and you’ll have ready-to-use bananas for up to six months. This is one of those tricks that I don’t think many people know, because I’ve never really seen people store bananas in their freezers, but it’s a fantastic way to store them. You won’t ever have brown bananas again.

Tip: You can use frozen bananas to make delicious homemade ice cream as a dairy-free option. 

When is a Banana Bad?

You can tell when a banana is at its end when it’s covered in brown spots and is no longer that cheery bright yellow. Sometimes, it turns completely brown and begins to turn to mush. You can look for signs of mold growing on the skin too.

But if you’re still uncertain, you can unpeel it to see if the flesh is brown and mushy. You can use an over-ripe banana for a number of purposes, my favorites being banana bread and these banana nut muffins. The overripe fruit mushes better and adds a nice caramel flavor to the bread.

If you see liquid pooling underneath your banana, it’s definitely gone bad. You might also smell a pungent odor and feel that the banana has gone squishy. When you notice these signs, it’s time to throw them out. They can no longer be used.

How to Extend the Shelf Life of Bananas

Tired of wasting money on fruit that goes rancid too quickly? Fortunately, there are ways around this Here are the best kitchen hacks to extend a banana’s shelf life. 

1. Buy them just before they ripen. This means that your bananas will still show some green, which is good. As mentioned above, unripe bananas last up to a week in the fruit bowl. Or you can put them in the fridge once they rippen, so they last longer.
2. When storing in the freezer, put them in ziplock bags. While in the freezer, you have to ensure that no air gets to your bananas, and using a ziplock bag is an excellent option.
3. Cover unpeeled or cut bananas with some lemon juice or any other citrus before refrigerating or freezing to help preserve their freshness.
4. Wrap the stem in plastic wraps. This helps contain ethylene gas which bananas naturally produce as they ripen. 
5. Hang your bananas away from other fruit. Doing so prevents bruising and lessens the chance of exposing the banana flesh to oxygen (which makes it ripen faster).

How to Use Over Ripe Bananas

You may be tempted to discard the brown over-ripe bananas you’ve got hanging around, but did you know that these are excellent for baking? 

Tip: Only use over-ripe bananas, not ones that have gone past that point. Visibly grown mold, slimy liquid, or a sour, unpleasant smell means the banana is no longer safe to eat. 

Here are some delicious recipes that can work excellently with overripe bananas:

• Banana foster pancakes 
• Easy moist banana bread
• Strawberry banana granola parfait
• Chocolate banana muffins

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