While it's widely suggested that covering banana stems with cling film can help preserve them, a reader of the Express has touted a "more effective" technique involving the immersing of stems in water: "A simple and cheaper way of making bananas last longer is to immerse the stalk end in water. Ours keep for 10 to 14 days when stored like that. Rather than the three or four days in a fruit bowl on their own or on a banana hook."

Internet user @that40yearguy decided to test this method for himself and documented his findings in a clip where he detailed the process: "I've never done a week-long test, we're going to try this banana hack to see if they stay fresh for longer."

"I've got six bananas here," he showed, holding up two trios of bananas alongside a diminutive water-filled plastic pot.

Three of the bananas were submerged stem-first into the water while the remainder were left aside.

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Banana and water drink on wood background
This hack involves immersing the stem in water

Revisiting the experiment after some time, he shared the outcome: "Let's see what these bananas look like, they've been here for 12 days," reports the Express.

The trio of bananas stored stalk-down in water were predominantly yellow, dappled liberally with brown, but maintained firmness and cohesion.

Conversely, attempting to handle the freestanding bananas proved futile as their tops detached precipitously during an attempt to lift them, leaving the peeled fruit sodden and slumped. Notably, the peel exhibited a more pronounced brownish hue compared to their hydrated counterparts, and the fruit within was softer, much to @that40yearguy's characterization of them being "shrivelled up".

Should green bananas undergo this preserving method, they could potentially endure for a span stretching to 15 days.

If the suggested storage solution doesn't quite fit your needs, then you might want to try a trusty kitchen staple: cling film.

TikTok content creator Armen Adamjan from Creative Explained, known for his helpful cleaning, plant, and food tips, has shared in a recent post: "You ever buy bananas and they just ripen up way too fast before you get to eat them? Well, this is what you do."

Adamjan's advice includes wrapping a particular part of the banana with cling film to extend its freshness.

Banana stems wrapped in cling film
Wrapping the stems of bananas stops them from going brown fast

Detailing the process, he advises: "Separate all the bananas and then wrap each banana stem with plastic wrap. Doing this slows down the ethylene production and keeps your bananas fresh for seven days."

However, it's worth considering the environmental impact; opting for foil or beeswax wraps is a more sustainable choice since they can be reused multiple times not to mention they are effective at decelerating a banana's ripening.

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