Banana Care

Monday, April 14, 2003

File this under “Things I Can’t Remember How I Learned but Have Often Been Handy to Know”:

Bananas like the weather
At the tropical equator
So never ever put one
In the refrigerator.

{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Chris 04.27.03 at 7:35 am

Although I’ve also heard that maxims such as this one were the result of marketing campaigns by banana companies who tried to get you to have your fruit spoil faster so you’d buy more. In other words, bananas in the fridge are actually just fine.

2 Jay Niemann 05.09.03 at 5:42 pm

If you gimmie alittle while I could dig up a Dole Banana ad from Boy’s Life or My Weekly Reader That has That maxim plus others. Chris is wrong, do not refrigerate bananas. this accelerates the browning process, in spite of the possibility of some trilateraslist bananagrowers campaign.
I doubt very much that there is such an evil and,I dare say, accurate, plot to get you to buy more bananas. They’re just tring to help.

3 pwned 01.10.04 at 11:31 am

according to dole bananas “You can store bananas in the refrigerator if you want to keep them for a longer time. However, the peel of this tropical fruit will darken. But the banana inside will remain firm and delicious.”

http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mbanana.html

4 Anthony Rosborough 08.26.05 at 8:50 pm

I have JUST eaten a banana in the fridge about 45 seconds ago, and it was completely fine. IT was even cut in half and wrapped up and put back in the fridge.
it seriously didnt even brown. just the part where it was cut was kind of brown, but the peels and everything were still just yellow and fine.
I dunno, i doubt the fridge has anything to do with the browning process, who cares anyway.. its just a banana.
hah

5 Elizabeth 11.23.05 at 10:37 am

Wow!… you guys have helped me a lot! I’m doing a science project on wheather a banana will brown faster either in the refridgerator or on the counter and this has helped a lot! I just thought I should let you know!

6 lana 11.28.05 at 7:47 am

I am too and didnt find the help you did what do you mean i cant find anything on the browning process of a bannana or what makes it brown help me

7 Bri 01.04.06 at 5:53 pm

I am doing a project on this too, and yes it is true the peel will brown faster in the fridge but the banana inside will be okay…but i need to know WHY! Why does the peel brown faster in the fridge?!!!

8 Nathanael 01.14.06 at 4:10 am

I wish somebody will tell me which one is going to brown faster in the frige or on the counter and why why why ??????

9 melissa 02.25.06 at 2:33 pm

hi. i am doing a project on which will a banana stay fresher. in fridge or counter? so… does it stay fresher in the fridge or on the counter? please tell me. thank you

10 Bob 03.06.06 at 2:48 pm

I Dont Really Care About Banana Care I Was Looking For A Science Fair Project

11 Josh Robinson 04.10.06 at 12:14 pm

Bananas are good either way, hah does this really matter?

12 Mike Smith 04.10.06 at 12:15 pm

If you put banana’s in the fridge they will get all black, i’ve seen it a hundred times, i work in a smoothie resturaunt

13 Jordan 04.10.06 at 12:17 pm

i dunno, my grandmother has kept banana’s in the fridge for years and it’s fine, or so it seems.

14 Will C 04.10.06 at 12:18 pm

who cares bros! they’z just be bananas.

i luv em either wayyyy

15 dvg 10.26.06 at 2:18 pm

Another handy tip: Squirting lemon juice on sliced apples will prevent them from browning (at least in the short run).

16 gary 02.19.07 at 4:58 am

My only question: Is the nutritional value of a banana decreased if it is refrigerated?

17 Boris 05.25.07 at 1:33 am

Putting bananas in the fridge is much better I’ve found. Sure, the peel will go dark quickly, but what’s inside stays fresh for weeks and tastes exactly the same as the day they were bought. Bananas outside the fridge will go brown and alter taste in a matter of days.

18 Louise 06.16.07 at 8:14 pm

Hey with the storage, should there be a certain degrees(between temperature) for bananas to atsy good.Or help ripen quicker.
Also what care needs to be taken when using a banana when preparing a dish.

19 bob 09.27.07 at 4:10 pm

i love bananas

20 amanda lynn 11.12.07 at 6:47 am

I just bought banana’s two days ago, green, and my boyfriend put them in the fridge so they’d keep longer. Not only are they already brown on the skin (brown and green, how strange!) but the banana itself is mushy and really inedible. I’m on the side of not refrigerating them, at least not until they’re ripe first…

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