The Only Way You Should Store Bananas, According To Chiquita - AOL

In a market filled with dust in South America, I watched a vendor wrap a bunch of fruit in sheets of newsprint. I found this advice while tracking the routines of chefs in the city. He told me the heat ripened the harvest, but the darkness kept the flavor. This changed everything for me because I saw the logistics of the supply chain. Bananas are a commodity of fragility.

Chiquita advises people to leave the fruit on the counter at the temperature of the room. The peel changes through the release of ethylene gas, and the starch converts into sugar over time. The process speeds up when groups of bunches sit together, and the air fills with the scent of the ripeness. The kitchen counter serves as the stage, but the pantry offers an alternative of cold. The fruit remains a source of nutrition for one week.

The counter-narrative

Common myths suggest that the refrigerator ruins the fruit. People see the skin darken and assume the insides have rotted. This is a mistake of logic. Air with a chill stops the ripening process, and the flesh remains a solid despite the color of the exterior. It might be too late if the fruit already feels like liquid. You know what I mean? The structure of the inside collapses.

The Ethylene Shield

Separation remains the strategy for preservation, and placement determines the lifespan of the bunch. Keep the bananas away from the apples, and store the oranges in another bowl. Ethylene gas acts as a catalyst for decay among neighbors. Wrapped the stems in film of plastic. This technique limits gas emission. The moisture stays inside the stalk, and the fruit stays the color of gold for a duration of days. And experts agree with the findings.