Martha Stewart doesn’t think we should be rinsing our berries under running water before packing them away in the fridge. 

Instead, she says, it’s a better idea to place them in a colander and lower the lot into a container of water – to keep them fresher for longer, she recommends placing them in a kitchen roll-lined tray after letting them dry fully. 

But if, like me, you face browning bananas far more often than you do mouldy berries (a punnet doesn’t stand a chance of lasting more than a day in my home) you might be wondering how to keep them fresh for longer. 

Thankfully, food waste-reducing app Too Good To Go has shared an easy trick that may stall the ripening process. 

How can I stop bananas from getting too ripe too quickly?

According to food preservation experts, the trick is to divide and conquer the bananas. 

“Bananas, split apart from their bunches, also do well outside because they ripen slower if they’re separate,” they shared. 

Anti-food waste organisation StopFoodWaste agrees, saying: “To keep bananas from browning quickly, break up the bunch and separate.”

They add: “Don’t store bananas with apples, which speed up ripening.” 

The Pioneer Woman’s site explains that this may work because bananas produce a ripening gas called ethylene. 

This is produced in the stem of the fruit, which is why some people recommend wrapping the stalks of bananas in clingfilm or tinfoil. 

So it’s no wonder the advice – which also results in more airflow around the fruit – is so often touted. 

Are there any other banana-storing tricks?

Though trying to prevent ethylene gas from leaching into the bananas may delay their ripening, the most effective hack seems to be my personal favourite: refrigeration. 

Fruit company Dole advises that the arresting effect of chilling is so strong, you should wait until your bananas are at your desired ripeness before placing them in the fridge ― they won’t keep maturing after that. 

Dr Tamika Sims, senior director of food technology communications at the International Food Information Council, told Martha Stewart’s site that “bananas can be stored on a kitchen counter until they are ripe, and then they can be stored in the refrigerator for at least two days more or until the skin becomes black”.

That’s because the skin darkens in the colder environment, though the fruit stays firmer for longer. 

And for what it’s worth, yep ― Dr Sims recommends splitting our bananas too.