Avoid Buying Bananas That Are Missing This Key Feature

What's the last time you thought about the kind of banana you buy? Most people's answer would probably be "never." However, if you want to avoid splotchy, overripe, or even rotten bananas, pay attention to this crucial feature of good bananas: intact necks. The neck of a banana is the thick part at the top of the fruit that connects to the bunch (lots of people call this part the "stem," but that's a different part completely). It does more than just being a connector, though, as the neck is also a protective "cap" sealing off the inner banana flesh from the outside environment. 

Wanna see how important it is? Just take a banana and tear off the neck, leave it on the counter, and see how long before the banana flesh begins to brown. It should take at most a couple of minutes. That's the banana oxidizing when it's exposed to air, and while harmless (at first), these bits look awful and taste mushy to boot. But that's the least of your problems, though. When the inner flesh is exposed, the warm air creates the perfect environment for bacteria to grow and spoil the fruit, not to mention it's an open invitation for pests to enter. That's why the USDA recommends that you should not leave any peeled or otherwise exposed fresh fruit on the counter for more than two hours. So next time you're out shopping, skip the bunches that have bananas with damaged or torn necks. Trust us, that's one headache you do not want to deal with.

If you are panic-reading this because you accidentally brought home a bunch with damaged necks — no worries, we can fix it. As long as they are not showing any signs of disease or rot (the peel is still a nice, bright yellow without dark spots or splotches all over), they're still salvageable with some quick actions. First things first, take stock of all the bananas that are damaged and separate them from the "healthy" ones by twisting and snapping each one off the main stem. Since the banana's flesh is already partly exposed by the stem, you can go ahead and peel all the damaged bananas. Now here comes the important part: on each banana, glaze with a thin coat of honey, which will form a protective layer around the fruit to stave off oxidation. Once they're all coated, place them in an airtight container or freezer bag, making sure to squeeze as much air as possible before sealing.

If you're planning to use them within two or so days, you can pop them in the fridge. For longer-term storage (from a week and out to three months), freeze them. Just keep in mind that frozen bananas can be pretty mushy when they're thawed out, so you cannot eat them like you do a fresh banana. Fortunately, there are plenty of creative ways for you to use your frozen bananas, the most straightforward is, of course, baking. After all, texture doesn't matter when you mash them for your upcoming batch of pumpkin banana bread. There you go, your bananas are saved from the trash!