It is not worth relying on color alone. This way, you can buy unripe or overripe fruits that will be tasteless or spoil quickly. This can also contribute to food waste.
So what should you really consider when choosing bananas? The answer is provided by „EatingWell“.
The biggest red flag – bruises
All the experts interviewed by the publication advised against buying bananas that are obviously bruised or otherwise damaged.
Bruises are usually visible as darker spots on the peel that are softer than the surrounding undamaged area.
“When choosing bananas, you should pay attention to bruises, fluid leakage, or mold,” says Shelaih Rojas, Operations Manager at Equal Exchange. This company supplies fair trade organic bananas from small farms.
Which other bananas are better left in the store?
Experts advise paying attention to other signs as well.
- Too green. If you see completely green, leaf-colored bananas in the store with not a hint of yellow, they may have been brought to the store too early. Such bananas may need much more time to ripen, and some may never reach the desired ripeness.
- Too dark. Very sweet bananas with brown skin are perfect for banana bread, but it’s better not to look for such fruits in the store. If a banana is very soft or has many dark spots on its peel, it may mean it has passed its prime.
- Mold. If you see mold or signs of rot on a banana, it’s better not to buy that fruit. “Mold or any rot should definitely be avoided,” warns the expert.
One sign confuses experts
There is one appearance sign of bananas that caused differing opinions among experts – a grayish peel shade.
According to fruit distributor Tracie Levin, a grayish banana peel may mean the fruit was stored too cold. Such bananas, she says, may never ripen properly, so it’s better to avoid them.
However, Sh. Rojas believes that a slight grayness does not necessarily mean you should discard the whole bunch immediately. If such bananas are sold in the store that day and you plan to use them, for example, in a smoothie, a slight external color change does not necessarily mean the inside of the fruit is bad.
“Minor external imperfections, such as slight scratches from harvesting, different fruit sizes, or slight graying, do not affect the inside of the fruit,” says Sh. Rojas.
What does a good banana look like?
The best banana depends on when you plan to eat it and what you will use it for.
Some people like slightly green, firmer bananas with a slightly tangy taste. Others choose fully yellow fruits with brown spots – then the banana is sweeter, softer, and reminiscent of caramel.
Overripe bananas are often used for baking because they have more sweetness, moisture, and a smoother texture.
Experts recommend using the so-called banana ripening chart. It divides fruits into seven ripening stages – from completely green bananas to yellow fruits heavily spotted with brown.
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This way, you can pre-select bananas that will be most suitable at the time you plan to eat or use them in cooking.
What to look for in the store?
Bright yellow color. A quality banana should be bright, yellow and green in color, without large bruises, mold, or other obvious damage.
Green tips – nothing wrong. Experts emphasize that the banana tip ripens last, so it is perfectly normal if it remains slightly green while the rest of the peel is already yellow.
Firm fruit. A good banana should look fresh, not dried out. It should be firm enough to eat the same day or a few days later.
How to store bananas?
The way to store bananas depends on their condition when you bought them and when you plan to eat them.
If you want them to stay edible as long as possible, experts recommend keeping them at room temperature. Ideally, bananas should be stored at about 13 degrees Celsius, but many people find it hard to find such a place at home.
If you plan to use bananas later for baking or smoothies, you can freeze them. This can be done with the peel on, peeled, or cut into pieces.
If you often notice that bananas in your home overripen, it’s worth considering another solution – simply buying them in smaller quantities. Bananas are available year-round in stores, so there is no need to stockpile them.
Want bananas to ripen faster?
If you found only green bananas in the store but want to bake banana bread in a few days, you can speed up their ripening.
Experts recommend putting bananas in a brown paper bag together with an apple or pear. These fruits release natural ethylene gases that accelerate banana ripening.
Heat can also speed up ripening. Therefore, bananas can be kept in a warmer place, for example, near the oven, above the dishwasher, or on the refrigerator.
