There is no doubt that banana is one of the most popular fruits in the world. In fact, it became part of pop culture when Andy Warhol illustrated it for the cover of The Banana Album (officially The Velvet Underground).
It could be said that it is a fruit that does not go out of style, it is always in season, since it is harvested in all seasons. When it turns yellow, it is cut from the plant, packaged and transported under certain temperature and humidity conditions, in order to guarantee a perfect state of conservation.
Luis Riera, director of the food and water safety consultancy SAIA, gives us the main recommendations for storing bananas and trying to prevent them from going bad (which has nothing to do with them being black) or ensuring that they have a sweeter flavor. Mainly, it is recommended that they always be left at room temperature as they are a tropical fruit.
They stand out for growing in a high temperature environment and, therefore, must be kept at room temperature. But if, on the other hand, we have a closed kitchen, which is not well ventilated and cool, they can be stored in the refrigerator. Now, bananas cannot be preserved in any way, there are practices that are not recommended.
One of these practices is to wrap the fruit in newspaper before storing it in the refrigerator. It's a mistake. Although it is true that it prevents humidity and would preserve the bananas perfectly, Riera points out that it is a “dirty” technique since the newspaper contains ink and stains, so wrapping it in kitchen paper can have the same effect and is not messy.
Another technique not recommended is to completely peel the banana and wrap it in aluminum foil before storing it in the refrigerator. “Fruits with skin are not recommended to be peeled until they are consumed. In the case of the banana, it would absorb the tastes and aromas of other products,” Riera points out.
On the other hand, according to the expert, the use of transparent film is very useful, whether at room temperature or in the refrigerator. If you wrap the tip of the banana with film, the ripening process slows down and it lasts a few more days. "It's all due to the lack of oxygen, which lengthens their lifespan." In this way, it takes time to acquire that black color.
But is the color black a bad sign? Well no. It is an urban legend. Riera states that when bananas are black it means that they are ripe and, at the same time, sweeter due to the oxidation of starch that is transformed into sugar. So, if we prefer the sweetest fruit we will follow one conservation system or another, but always respecting that it retains its aroma and flavor.
