The idea behind this tip is that bananas often last longer when stored away from other fruit and with their stems protected, because bananas release ethylene gas, which speeds up ripening.
A few ways to help bananas stay fresh longer:
- Wrap the banana stems with plastic wrap or reusable wrap. This can slow the release of ethylene from the stems and may extend freshness by a few days.
- Keep bananas away from other ripe fruit (especially apples, pears, and avocados), which can also release ethylene.
- Store them at room temperature until they reach the ripeness you like.
- Refrigerate ripe bananas if you want to slow further ripening—the peel may turn brown, but the inside can remain good longer.
- Freeze overripe bananas for smoothies or baking.
A kitchen item often mentioned for this trick is plastic wrap around the stems, but it won’t reliably make every bunch last exactly 10 days longer. The result depends on the banana variety, temperature, and how ripe they were when purchased.
