Keep your bananas yellow for 26 days with 1 everyday item: are you wasting money and fruit?

Your bananas might be ageing faster than you think. A simple jar-and-fridge trick is sparking debate in kitchens across Britain.

Shoppers love a hack that saves food and a few quid. Now a home cook’s neat method claims to hold off browning for nearly a month. The twist uses one item most households already own. It does not need cling film, foil, or fancy gadgets. The approach rides a thin line between curiosity and kitchen science. It could help families cut waste and keep lunchbox fruit looking presentable for far longer.

What the jar trick involves

Content creator Amy Cross showed a method that keeps bananas fresh-looking far longer than a fruit bowl usually allows. She cut a ripe banana into chunky sections without peeling, popped the pieces into a clean glass jar, and parked the jar in the fridge. The peel stayed on each segment, acting like a built‑in jacket. After nearly four weeks, the skins still looked bright rather than blotchy. The flesh held its shape. That result surprised viewers, who usually expect fridge-cold bananas to darken fast.

• Pick a ripe, firm banana with no splits in the peel.
• Slice it into three or four large pieces, leaving the skin intact.
• Place the segments upright in a dry, odour‑free glass jar.
• Seal the jar and store it in the fridge, away from strong‑smelling foods.
• Open the jar when needed and return it promptly to the cold shelf.

One jar, peel‑on pieces, and steady fridge storage delivered a reported 26 days of yellow, ready‑to‑eat banana.

Why the cold‑jar method can help

Bananas ripen fast because they release ethylene, a natural gas that speeds softening and browning. Warm air accelerates that process. The glass jar acts like a small chamber, slowing airflow and reducing ethylene build‑up escaping into the kitchen. The fridge cuts respiration inside the fruit, so starch breaks into sugars more slowly. Keeping the peel on creates an extra barrier against oxygen, which fuels browning.

There is a catch. Bananas dislike temperatures below roughly 12°C. Chilling can bruise the peel and cause dark patches. Inside a sealed jar, moisture and temperature remain more stable than on an open shelf, which may help the peel look better for longer. Results will vary with ripeness at purchase, the banana variety, fridge temperature, and how often you open the jar. Use your senses. Smell and texture tell you more than colour alone.

Where to keep whole bananas

If you do not want to slice at all, treat whole bananas gently. Aim for a cool, shaded spot at about 12°C. Keep them away from a warm cooker, a sunny window, or the top of the fridge. Heat pushes them into overdrive. Dunking whole bananas into the fridge can mark the skin, even if the flesh stays fine. A fruit hanger reduces pressure marks and keeps airflow moving.

Target around 12°C in a dark corner, not a warm kitchen shelf bathed in sunlight.

If you prefer not to slice

• Separate bananas from the bunch to slow ripening.
• Wrap stems with cling film or foil to curb ethylene at the crown.
• Keep them away from apples, pears, and avocados, which also emit ethylene.
• Move just‑ripe bananas to a cooler hallway or pantry, not next to the kettle.

Peeled banana care for salads

Once you peel and slice, browning races ahead. A quick spritz of lemon or pineapple juice slows the colour change. The acidic juice reduces the enzyme activity that darkens cut surfaces. Store the slices in an airtight tub and use within a day or two. Add the fruit to your porridge or yoghurt at the last minute for the best texture.

How different methods stack up

Safety, taste and common pitfalls

Food safety comes first. If a banana smells fermented, feels slimy, or shows mould, bin it. Keep jars scrupulously clean and fully dry before use. Moisture on the glass encourages condensation and off smells. Store the jar away from strong odours such as onions and garlic. A banana absorbs surrounding aromas and can taste odd.

Do not cram the jar. Squashed pieces bruise and break down faster. Use a fridge shelf with stable temperature. The door warms up each time you reach for milk. Try not to slice fruit that is already heavily spotted. That fruit sits on the edge of over‑ripeness and will not keep long.

Trust your nose and eyes. If it looks suspect or smells boozy, it does not belong on your porridge.

Try it at home: a mini test

Curious households can run a simple side‑by‑side check over two weeks. You need two identical bananas, a glass jar with a tight lid, and a cool shelf.

• Slice one banana into three peel‑on chunks and seal them in the jar in the fridge.
• Leave the other banana whole on a shaded, cool shelf.
• Check both every two days. Note colour, firmness, and aroma.
• Taste a small piece when you judge it ready. Record texture and sweetness.
• Repeat with a different fridge shelf or a different ripeness level next time.

This quick experiment shows how your own fridge and room temperature affect the outcome. Not every kitchen behaves the same.

What households could gain

Banana waste adds up. Families often toss one or two fruit a week when skins turn blotchy before breakfast time. If a bunch costs around £1.20 and you usually bin two bananas, you lose roughly 40–60p weekly. Stretch that across a year and the total lands near £20–£30. A jar in the fridge, plus smarter storage for whole fruit, can trim that loss without much effort.

There are trade‑offs. Colder storage slows ripening but can mute aroma slightly. Some people prefer the stronger banana flavour that comes at room temperature. Keep a small rotation: a couple in the pantry for today, a jar of segments for later in the week, and a few speckled ones ready for banana bread. That mix gives you choice, reduces waste, and keeps breakfasts calm rather than rushed.