banana in fridge

[fire400]

but in the inside, it's still more fresh than one sitting ouside for the same period of time?

fridge is colder than kitchen atmosphere, obviously.

isn't keeping the banana cold supposed to help retain it's color?

 

[Oceandevi]

The refrigerator is no place for a banana, because this is certain to blacken it prematurely. The cold air, to which the banana is exposed, causes the production of blackening compounds known as polyphenals.

quoted from coolquiz.

 

[bobsmith1492]

Hm, yes, I have observed this; I brought a banana with me on the morning of the Chicago Marathon this fall; it was freakin' cold out there! Anyway, the 'nana was yellow when we left; when I ate it a half hour later, it was all speckled... apparently this is a very quick process.

 

[fire400]

Originally posted by: Oceandevi
The refrigerator is no place for a banana, because this is certain to blacken it prematurely. The cold air, to which the banana is exposed, causes the production of blackening compounds known as polyphenals.

quoted from coolquiz.

so am I gonna get sick after a week's wait of a fridge banana?

 

[Oceandevi]

I would play it safe and buy more. They are really cheap fruit. If its yellow still its fine. But when you bite in you can feel if it getting nasty or not.

 

[bobsmith1492]

Nah... bananas don't go bad, really; when they get really mushy like that, make banana bread!

 

[pkme2]

Originally posted by: bobsmith1492
Nah... bananas don't go bad, really; when they get really mushy like that, make banana bread!

I agree. I've had blackened bananas direct from fridge storaged with no problems. A little squishy, but still edible.

 

[Howard]

The peel may go black but the inside rots slower than at room temp.

 

[Exterous]

Originally posted by: bobsmith1492
Nah... bananas don't go bad, really; when they get really mushy like that, make banana bread!

:thumbsup: We actually put bananas in the freezer for a bit so they get nice and black before we make banana bread

 

[IEC]

It may have something to do with polyphenols or ethylene gas (plant hormone that causes ripening). I forget exactly. But putting a banana in an enclosed space will make other fruits ripen more quickly as well. You don't want to do it.

 

[Oceandevi]

I cant stand eating soft bananas, so my post was based on personal feelings.

 

[imported_Seer]

If you need fruits to ripen quickly, put them in a closed bag with a banana.

 

[Rastus]

Originally posted by: ariafrost
It may have something to do with polyphenols or ethylene gas (plant hormone that causes ripening). I forget exactly. But putting a banana in an enclosed space will make other fruits ripen more quickly as well. You don't want to do it.

That's also why one bad apple will spoil a whole barrel.

 

[TanisHalfElven]

i was wondering why is this in highly technical. is this section like a joke or something ?

 

[fire400]

Originally posted by: tanishalfelven
i was wondering why is this in highly technical. is this section like a joke or something ?

Q: why did the banana cross the road?

A: to get to the other side.

i'll make it highly technical...

=== here's some research: ===

1. How to Select and Store

Since bananas are picked off the tree while they're still green, it's not unusual to see them this color in the store. Base your choice of bananas depending upon when you want to consume them. Bananas with more green coloration will take longer to ripen than those more yellow in hue and/or with brown spots.

Bananas should be firm, but not too hard, bright in appearance, and free from bruises or other injuries. Their stems and tips should be intact. The size of the banana does not affect its quality, so simply choose the size that best meets your needs.

While bananas look resilient, they're actually very fragile and care should be taken in their storage. They should be left to ripen at room temperature and should not be subjected to overly hot or cold temperatures. Unripe bananas should not be placed in the refrigerator as this will interrupt the ripening process to such an extent that it will not be able to resume even if the bananas are returned to room temperature.

If you need to hasten the ripening process, you can place bananas in a paper bag or wrap them in newspaper, adding an apple to accelerate the process. Ripe bananas that will not be consumed for a few days can be placed in the refrigerator. While their peel may darken, the flesh will not be affected. For maximum flavor when consuming refrigerated bananas, remove them from the refrigerator and allow them to come back to room temperature.

Bananas can also be frozen and will keep for about 2 months. Either purée them before freezing or simply remove the peel and wrap the bananas in plastic wrap. To prevent discoloration, add some lemon juice before freezing.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=7

2.
STUDY OF DISINFESTATION OF BANANAS BY GAMMA IRRADIATION.
http://www.osti.gov/energycitations/product.biblio.jsp?osti_id=4079848

p.s. "For maximum flavor when consuming refrigerated bananas, remove them from the refrigerator and allow them to come back to room temperature." -1

 

[johnos]

Originally posted by: Oceandevi
I would play it safe and buy more. They are really cheap fruit. If its yellow still its fine. But when you bite in you can feel if it getting nasty or not.

they aint cheap down here in australia atm, i can tell u that.......

 

[Susquehannock]

Sad thing is most people have been "trained" to eat unripe banannas. They are picked weeks before they are ripe so they don't spoil traveling half way around the world on their way to your grocery store. Actually a ripe bananna is hardly yellow at all, many small spots. If you have ever been to the tropics and eaten a "fresh" bananna you know what I mean. There are dozens of bananna species, but mosly what we see are the "Cavendish".

Wiki quote :

~ " Export bananas are picked green, and then usually ripened in ripening rooms when they arrive in their country of destination. These are special rooms made air-tight and filled with ethylene gas to induce ripening. Bananas can be ordered by the retailer "ungassed", however, and may show up at the supermarket still fully green. While these bananas will ripen more slowly, the flavour will be notably richer, and the banana peel can be allowed to reach a yellow/brown speckled phase, and yet retain a firm flesh inside. Thus, shelf life is somewhat extended. The flavour and texture of bananas are affected by the temperature at which they ripen. Bananas are refrigerated to between 13.5 and 15 °C (57 and 59 °F) during transportation. At lower temperatures, the ripening of bananas permanently stalls, and the bananas will turn grey. " ~

 

[Hav0k99]

Also I believe bananas blacken faster in the dark. I put them in a closed paper bag for a day and then make banana bread.

 

[imported_Seer]

Originally posted by: Hav0k99
Also I believe bananas blacken faster in the dark. I put them in a closed paper bag for a day and then make banana bread.

covered already. it has to do with the bag trapping a hormonal gas that the banana gives off that hastens ripening. Interesting hypothesis, however

 

[Bananadude]

Originally posted by: ariafrost
It may have something to do with polyphenols or ethylene gas (plant hormone that causes ripening). I forget exactly. But putting a banana in an enclosed space will make other fruits ripen more quickly as well. You don't want to do it.

It's the ethylene gas, you are correct. Bananas produce quite a high concentration of it, but all fruits do when ripening. That's why a bunch of bananas will often ripen quicker than if one is alone, because of the higher concentration of ethylene gas. Kiwi fruit is another fruit which produces quite a high concentration of ethylene.

So, if you have a bunch of bananas and kiwi fruit that are unripe and you need to ripen, thrown them all in a paper bag and they will all ripen much quicker.

Gets me thinking, if you had a hundred unripe bananas and a hundred unripe kiwi fruit, and you threw them all in a big paper bag, would they ripen in just seconds?? There's an experiment just waiting to be tried...

 

[marulee]

Guess, banana or any fruits are very sensitive with the temperture, which means its atmosphere. But remember fridge stores other foods, they all carries different bacterias although some of them can survived on low temperture enviroment such as like in fridge which will be active and will expand depend on there characteristic!