Key Takeaways
Sure, bananas aregood for us, but they can be frustrating, too.
We consulted a produce expert who shared how to ripen bananas overnight.
She explains that, as bananas mature, they emit ethylene, a gaseous hormone that accelerates ripening.
Paper also allows oxygen to enter, which is another requirement for ripening.
“What about a plastic bag?”
These fruits emit high levels of ethylene gas, so storing them with bananas hastens their ripening process.
Other fruits in this high-ethylene category are cantaloupe, mangoes, prunes,papaya, plums, and tomatoes.
All fruits are not equally effective when it comes to emitting ethylene gas.
She suggests placing whole,unpeeledbananas on a sheet pan and baking them at 300F for 1 hour.
Since the bananas may leak, line the baking pan with parchment or silicone for easy cleanup.
Stages of Ripeness
At which stage is banana ripeness ideal?
Don’t throw out those banana peels!
They’re perfect for fertilizing roses.
Just flatten a peel and bury it under 1 inch of soil at the base of a rose bush.
The peel’spotassium feeds the plantand helps it resist disease.
Note that if you freeze unripe bananas, they will not continue their ripening process once they’re defrosted.
No, a microwave is not effective for ripening a banana.
Microwaves heat bananas too fast for ripening to take place.
However, a microwave may be suitable for defrosting frozen bananas.
Use the DEFROST setting for no longer than 4 minutes.
(Short intervals are recommended.)
The bananas may become runny, so use a suitable container to avoid a messy microwave.
At room temperature, the bag traps ethylene gas to ripen bananas faster.
In cold temperatures, the ripening process stops, so ethylene is no longer viable.
In this case, the bag insulates bananas from the extreme cold.
