Bananas can last significantly longer when stored in a specific location in the kitchen, according to an expert.
11:20, Sat, Jan 3, 2026 Updated: 11:20, Sat, Jan 3, 2026
Bananas will last for ‘2 weeks’ in 1 kitchen location that isn’t a fruit bowl (Image: Getty)
Bananas are one of the UK’s most-wasted foods. There’s typically only a couple of days between purchasing the fruit before it browns, meaning they often get thrown into the bin, just like avocados. Fortunately, there are several ways to delay this progression and maintain their freshness for around two weeks.
This begins at the shop, where you select bananas that aren’t packaged in bags. While numerous retailers are shifting away from this packaging approach, bags with holes cause the fruit to mature much faster.
Bananas, similar to many other fruits, release a gas known as ethylene, which causes them to mature rapidly.
When stored in a plastic bag, this gas accelerates the ripening even more, resulting in brown marks appearing on the banana much faster.
Based on guidance from a food hygiene expert at High Speed Training, the fruit shouldn’t be placed in a fruit bowl either.
The expert explained: “Anywhere too warm will speed up the ripening process, so avoid keeping them near ovens or warm appliances.”
Separating the fruit from the cluster can also help them stay at their “prime freshness” for much longer.
Where to store food (Image: EXPRESS)
The expert added: “The ethylene gas is released from the stem of the banana, so to slow the impact of the gas and avoid the over-ripening too quickly, you can also wrap the stems in a plastic wrap or cling film.
“This reduces the amount of gas that will be able to travel down the fruit and therefore allows them to stay fresher for longer.”
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If this seems like too much work, consider a banana tree to hang them up instead. This keeps the fruit surrounded by air.
Many people will also pop them into the fridge once they have reached their peak ripeness.
These bananas could last up to “two weeks”. However, don’t be deterred by any brown or overripe-looking bananas, as the inside is still perfectly fine and safe to eat.