Banana Experiment

Several months back I heard that bananas take longer to ripen if they are separated into single units instead of being left in a bunch. I immediately started pulling my bunches of bananas apart in an effort to extend the life of this fruit staple. After awhile I wondered if it made any true difference since the bananas still did ripen, of course.

Question : Did separating the bananas slow the process down?

An opportunity presented itself a couple of weeks ago when I purchased two large bunches of bananas at Costco. I immediately unwrapped them and pulled one of the bunches apart. I chose the slightly more green bunch to pull apart. I think the "greenness" shows in the photo.


Six days later we only had four bananas left. You can see that the bananas from both groups have ripened similarly. Remember the separated bunch was a tiny bit more green so it follows that there should be a few less brown spots at this point.

Conclusion: There is no significant difference in the aging process between a separated bunch or intact bunch of bananas.

Application: Don't waste time separating bananas.

Katie