Stop bananas from going brown and mushy by keeping it away from 1 thing

If you keep your bananas in a fruit bowl, you could be making one of the most common mistakes that causes them to spoil and turn mushy far too quickly. Experts have revealed that bananas should never be stored alongside other fruit, as the natural gases they release dramatically speed up the ripening process, not just for themselves, but for anything nearby.

Most fruits emit ethylene gas, a natural growth hormone responsible for ripening. Bananas, however, are particularly sensitive to it and also release large amounts of the gas from their stems. When placed in a bowl with apples, pears, peaches, or mangos, they can ripen and rot within days.

The team at Zest Food Service said: "The ethene which bananas release can affect many other fruits, such as apples and pears, which is why you should keep the bananas separate from these fruits unless you intentionally want to ripen them quicker."

Bananas should also be kept away from avocados, unless you want them to ripen fast, and from softer fruits like plums and honeydew. The one exception is citrus. Oranges and lemons are unaffected by ethylene gas and can safely sit alongside bananas.

For best results, bananas should be stored in a separate bowl and their stems wrapped tightly in cling film or foil. This simple trick helps trap the gas at its source, slowing the ripening process by three to five days.

Once bananas have turned yellow and begun to develop brown spots, the experts recommend moving them to the fridge.

While the peel will turn dark in the cold, the fruit inside stays fresh, firm, and sweet.

The cold temperature also halts the ripening process entirely, meaning bananas can last up to two weeks longer than usual.

However, green bananas should never be placed in the fridge, as the cold will permanently stop them from ripening.
"Keep in mind with delayed ripening options that you will effectively pause the process at the point where the banana currently is," the experts added.

"If you stick a green banana in the fridge or wrap the stem, it will stay green and unripe."

So if you want your bananas to last, keep them far away from your fruit bowl, wrap the stems, and only refrigerate them once they've reached the perfect yellow stage.