I’m not sure I’ve ever met someone who hates bananas. Personally, I love them. Not only are they delicious, but they’re an excellent source of vitamins and potassium. They’re also pretty filling, and make for the perfect snack or addition to a yoghurt bowl. The problem with buying bananas is that they tend to come in pretty big bunches, and it can be difficult to get through them before they all turn brown, splotchy, and soft. It’s as though they’re green the day you bring them home from the grocery store and the very next day, they’re completely overripe.
The conditions you store your bananas in definitely contribute to how quickly they ripen. For example, leaving them out in sunlight at room temperature, in close proximity to other fruit, tends to mean bananas will become ripe (and then overripe) far too quickly. And that’s exactly where this viral banana hack is coming into play.
TikTok user @lilsipper_official shared her helpful tip for keeping bananas the perfect level of ripe for days, and even weeks. Before they start to turn brown and soft, she puts them straight into the freezer which halts their ripening process. When she wants to enjoy them, she simply takes one out of the freezer and runs it under warm water. This thaws out the banana, and it’s then ready to enjoy.
Though I throw all of my brown bananas in the freezer to make banana bread at a later date, I had never considered putting them in the freezer before they turn brown. However, this simple yet smart hack has definitely convinced me to give it a try!
