Tips on Ripening Bananas for Banana Bread

Bananas with brown spots aren't quite ripe enough for making banana bread.

Bananas are harvested green; after harvest they begin to ripen immediately. As the banana ripens, the starch gradually converts to sugar. The banana turns from green to yellow, and eventually to brown. A ripe, brown banana is sweet, smooth and just right for making banana bread. Although the natural ripening process requires several days, you can speed up the process and ripen even the greenest bananas in fewer than two days.

Things You'll Need

• Paper grocery bag
• Ripe apple or tomato

Instructions

1. Remove the bananas from the plastic grocery bag as soon as you bring them home from the supermarket. Plastic slows the ripening process and causes uneven ripening.

2. Place the bananas in a brown paper grocery bag. Place a ripe tomato or apple in the bag with the bananas. The fruit produces natural ethylene gas, which causes the bananas to ripen quickly.

3. Fold down the top of the paper bag so that it is securely closed.

4. 

   Banana bread is a favorite dessert bread during the holidays.

   Place the bag on your kitchen counter. Normal room temperatures speed the ripening process.

5. Check the bananas at least once every day to prevent over-ripening.

Tips & Warnings

• Although ripe bananas are ideal for making banana bread, they are also delicious in banana shakes, desserts or smoothies. If you have more ripe bananas than you can use, peel the bananas and freeze them in small, resealable bags or airtight containers.

• Never store bananas in the refrigerator. The cold temperatures slow the ripening process, and the bananas may not ripen even after you remove them from the refrigerator.

References

• Chiquita Bananas: Banana Ripening and Storage
• Cal Harvest Marketing: How to Ripen Fruit