How do you ripen bananas???

[Kelly]

Here's something that I've never had to deal with - how do you get bananas to ripen? I purposely bought green bananas 5 days ago since I wouldn't really need them until yesterday. The only problem is that they are still the same shade of green today.

Any ideas on what I can do to make them ripen?

[MrsReber]

Hi Kelly, I hear that if you put them in a paper bag with an apple, they will ripen! I've never tried it since mine seem to ripen and then go bad in one day, but lots of people have told me that trick. Good luck!

[BeckyM]

I've found that even putting them in a paper bag all by themselves works to ripen them up pretty fast.

[Kelly]

Thanks MrsReber and Becky for the suggestions. Strangest thing about those bananas! Two days ago, I put 3 very green ones in a paper bag and left 3 equally green ones on the counter (where they had been for a week already). The three in the bag are actually still green than the ones I left out! I think I got mutant bananas or something like that.

[Jeanne G]

Kelly,
MrsReber seems to be correct. I was watching Good Eats on Foodtv and learned that apples give off some sort of gas - can't remember what - but it helps bananas ripen when inside of a bag. Do be careful if the apple is too ripe, this will "jetrocket" your ripening of the bananas. Try it and hope it works!!

[jd]

I've heard that if bananas were exposed to cold along the way, they may not ripen.

[Kristilyn1]

I just pop the bananas in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time until soft. They may not be ripe--but they will blend~!

Kristi

[JeanneW]

Just to add to MrsReber's explanation of why apples help ripen other fruits - it's because of the ethylene gas apples give off.