Bananas are picked and shipped green, but green bananas are not digestible. You can ripen them in a few days but is it true that you should never put bananas in the refrigerator?
Things Required:
2 green bananas
Directions:
Place one banana on the counter and one in the refrigerator.
This Is What Happens:
Within a few days the banana on the counter turns yellow and its flesh becomes soft and creamy. The one in the refrigerator blackens and its insides remain hard.
Science Behind It:
Bananas release ethylene gas naturally to ripen the fruit. On the counter, the of the skin green chlorophyll disappears and reveals yellow pigments (carotenes and flavones). Also, the starch of the banana changes to sugar and the pectin, which holds the cells of the banana firm, breaks down. And so the flesh softens and is easy to digest.
In the cold of the refrigerator, the tropical bananas suffer cell damage and the release of browning and other enzymes. The fruit doesn’t ripen and the skin blackens instead of turning yellow.
Once a banana is ripe, it is safe to store it in the refrigerator. The skin may darken but the fruit inside will remain tasty for several days.