Why You Shouldn't Store Bananas In The Fridge (And The Best Place For Them)

While we wish our fruits would last longer, there's no magic trick to prevent that banana from turning to sticky sludge — there's only science. Science tells us that bananas continue ripening after they've been picked and emit ethylene gas, which makes them ripen faster and often means you'll end up using those bananas for banana bread more than a morning smoothie bowl. To uncover the perfect place to store bananas so that they don't ripen too fast (or too slow), we spoke with Stephanie Bonin, chef and owner of Patio Tropical at the New York City Wine and Food Festival, who recommends skipping the fridge and leaving that bunch on the counter, instead.

Contrary to popular practice, Bonin recommends keeping bananas out of the refrigerator, if possible. "I never put it in a fridge or anything like that," Bonin says, sharing that she typically buys bananas under-ripe, waiting for them to hit peak ripeness "by the way that they smell." In cold temperatures, Bonin admits that bananas often turn dark too quickly, but never actually reach ripeness, which is usually what happens when you store bananas in the refrigerator. The cold slows the ripening process, which can be handy for over-ripe bananas, but a hindrance with under-ripe or barely-ripe fruits. Even worse is when customers "put the fruit right in the same plastic bag right to the fridge," according to Bonin, which she says can cause "a lot of humidity build up," hindering the banana's ripening.

While the fridge may seem ideal, Bonin argues that the yellow fruits are better off ripening naturally on the kitchen counter. When left to their own devices in a sunless, moderately cool spot, bananas on the counter tend to turn out sweeter and softer than those trying to ripen in the fridge. They may last longer in the fridge due to the enzymes that turn starches into sugar slowing down, but bananas on the counter can last about a week. "I buy a small batch of the most delicious, the ones that are ready to be [eaten], and put [them] in this beautiful bowl basket and have that outside," Bonin says, or, she says it's common to see bananas on hooks on walls or ceilings, which helps prevent them from bruising.

Keeping bananas on the counter is not only better for ripening and aesthetic purposes, but also because it can help you remember that you bought the fruits in the first place. How many times have you been excited to grab a pack of raspberries only to completely forget about it at the back of the fridge? "When I buy my fruits, I like to make these beautiful fruit baskets in my house, so that reminds my husband also that we have fruits and we keep eating them," Bonin says. Don't let the refrigerated propaganda fool you — unripe bananas will always do best on the countertops, and if not, here are 13 ways to use up overripe bananas anyway.