WAY OT- How do you make bananas last longer?

[mamato1]

I have this whole grocery store thing down so that I can get by going 2-3 times a month. It's the bananas that are messing me up. DS eats one every day and I have to run out every couple of days to get them. Anyone have any brilliant tip to make them last longer so I can buy more, less often?

Chris

Mama to Brendan (aka Boomer) 01/04


http://b3.lilypie.com/FnI6m5/.png

[jhrabosk]

The Super Baby Food book says they last longer in the fridge. Maybe buy 'em REAL green and then put them in the fridge when they're at the right stage of ripeness? She says they'll last another few days that way.

[cmo]

Also, do not store them near apples. The apples give off a gas that makes bananas (and some other fruits) ripen faster.

[dhano923]

I buy two bunches of bananas -- one bunch is ripe/almost ripe so they can be eaten for the first 3-4 days, then the second bunch is greener so they will ripen after a few days.

[ett]

If I want my bananas to ripen slower, I put them in my basement which is much colder than upstairs.

[tarabenet]

Hang them. Those silly banana hooks really seem to work for making them last longer.

Also, a favorite treat when I was a kid was frozen bananas. Maybe he'd go for that? Peel it, wrap in plastic wrap, stick it in the freezer. Eat it like a popsicle. Other people freeeze them in slices, instead.

[shilo]

i was having this same problem once ds started solids... i pretty much do a combo of what pp's suggested. i make mine last 2 weeks this way:

i buy about 3 yellow for days 1-3

another 3 or 4 yellow green that will ripen in 3ish days - these are eaten on days 4-7 or 8

and then a full bunch (7 or 8) as green as i can get 'em. i leave this green bunch out until they are 90% yellow, 10% green.

at that point i leave 2 or 3 out to further ripen to eat on days 8-10 or 11 and the rest go in the fridge. (the skin will turn brown or even black, but the banana inside will stop ripening for the most part when you put them in the fridge - they do get a little softer)

the fridge bananas get eaten days 10-14.

the trick is to put them in the fridge when they are 90ish%yellow but still have a little bit of green on the stem part. and pp tip about not storing them with other fruits is a good one, although if find that apples, bananas, apricots, avocados, kiwis and pears all speed ripening of each other. you can also use this trick to speed up ripening green bananas (or other fruit) if you need them quicker - put them in a brown paper bag with any of the ones mentioned above and they speed eachother up.

hth, lori.

[The Review Mommy]

Yes, buy a silly banana hook-also, bread is better kept in a bread box then in the fridge. :)

Rebekah

[jerseygirl07067]

Put em' in the fridge. The skins will darken, even turn dark brown, but the insides will be fine.

Marcy

[BaileyBea]

We freeze them whole. DH freezed them w/the skins but I take the skins off. Either way it works and we freeze them. About once per month we make banana bread with them.