Your bananas could stay yellow for 26 days: the 50p glass jar in your fridge that saves waste

A simple fridge habit is making waves on social media as families search for ways to cut fruit waste and costs.

A home cook’s post has sparked debate after she claimed shop-bright bananas weeks after slicing. The trick uses nothing fancy. Just a glass jar and a fridge shelf.

A TikTok jar trick puts bananas on ice

Amy Cross, who posts as @amycrosslegacy, shared a short video showing a banana cut into chunky pieces, peel still on, and packed snugly into a clean glass jar before going into the fridge. Nearly four weeks later, she opened the jar to reveal skins that still looked bright and fruit that had not turned into mush. The clip drew quick interest because most of us bemoan brown bananas long before payday comes round again.

One creator says her sliced bananas stayed yellow for 26 days when sealed in a glass jar and kept chilled.

The method counters common advice to keep bananas out of the cold. Bananas usually dislike the fridge. Their skins darken fast near 4°C, and the fruit can suffer chill injury. Yet a jar changes the environment. It cuts airflow, limits moisture loss, and shields peel from light and stray ethylene in the fridge. That mix may slow the march from sunny yellow to dull brown.

Why a jar might work

Bananas ripen as they release ethylene gas. Warmth speeds that process. Air movement also carries ethylene around a fruit bowl, hastening the shift from firm to soft. A sealed jar reduces exposure to both air and external ethylene. The peel left on each piece adds another barrier. Less oxygen at the surface means fewer browning reactions in the cut ends.

Moisture matters too. Fridges dry food. A jar traps humidity around the fruit, so the flesh stays plump rather than leathery. That combination may explain the unusually long window shown online. Results will vary with ripeness on day one, fridge temperature, and how clean and dry the jar was when packed.

Temperature and light still set the pace

For whole bananas you plan to eat soon, a cool, shaded corner works well. Around 12°C slows ripening without chilling the cells. Keep them off a warm kitchen counter near sunlight or the hob. Direct heat accelerates the colour change and softening.

If you must refrigerate whole bananas, expect skins to brown even if the flesh inside remains serviceable for baking or smoothies. A jar does reduce discolouration of the cut edges, but the look will depend on how ripe the fruit was at the start.

Cool, dark spaces near 12°C slow ripening. Warm rooms and bright light push bananas past their best.

What food safety says

Cut fruit does not last indefinitely, even when it looks fine. Store sliced produce chilled, in a clean, sealed container, and aim to eat within a few days. Home conditions differ, and you cannot see all spoilage risks with the naked eye. If you test a jar method, keep notes, and do not serve very old cut fruit to young children, pregnant people, older adults, or anyone with a weakened immune system.

Check for off smells, slimy textures, or any mould. Discard at the first sign of trouble. Clean jars and lids with hot soapy water, rinse well, and dry before use. Avoid packing fruit while it is wet, which invites condensation and spoilage.

Practical steps if you want to try

• Choose bananas that are yellow with minimal spotting on day one.
• Slice into large segments without removing the peel.
• Use a dry, odour-free glass jar with a tight lid; fill it without crushing.
• Refrigerate promptly and keep the jar at the back of the shelf, not in the door.
• Open only when needed; frequent opening changes humidity and temperature.
• If storing peeled slices, spritz the cut surfaces with lemon or pineapple juice to slow browning.
• Stop using the batch if you notice any discolouration inside the flesh, an acidic smell, or a tacky film.

Other ways to keep bananas fresh

Not keen on jars? Several low-effort tricks extend life and reduce waste.

• Wrap stems with foil or cling film to contain ethylene at the source.
• Hang bananas to avoid bruising and improve airflow around the fruit.
• Keep bananas away from apples, pears, and avocados, which release ethylene.
• Buy in stages: a few green, a few yellow, and a few freckled, so ripeness is staggered across the week.
• For lunchboxes, brush peeled slices with citrus juice and keep in a chilled container.

How storage methods compare

Why the science of browning matters to your wallet

Browning happens when enzymes in the fruit react with oxygen. Acid slows that chemistry. Cold slows it too, but too much cold affects texture and taste. Putting slices with peel into a sealed jar reduces oxygen around the cut area and holds moisture close. That combination buys time, which means fewer bananas tossed in the bin and more value from a weekly shop.

If you batch-pack fruit for school runs or gym bags, plan a rotation. Eat the ripest first, move the mid-ripe to the jar or a cooler spot, and keep the greenest on the counter. Freeze any surplus in chunks for smoothies or baking. Frozen pieces keep their sweetness and blend well, saving you from last-minute waste.

When to choose the fridge and when to skip it

Use the fridge for short windows, travel prep, or when a heatwave hits. Skip it if the kitchen is cool, you enjoy speckled skins, or you plan to bake soon, because countertop ripening deepens flavour. If you do refrigerate, a jar can rescue the look of cut pieces, while whole bananas may still show darker skins even when the centres remain usable.