How To Ripen Bananas; 4 Simple And Handy Tips

Banana is one of the simplest fruits to eat; peel and enjoy the goodness of the humble food. This amazing fruit is not only deliciously sweet, but also offer many health benefits. An instant energy booster, banana has various essential nutrients like potassium, which is essential for maintaining blood pressure. It also has fibre that makes it a great snack and is known to be an exceptional natural antacid that protect the stomach from ulcers. In India, bananas are used in cooking some regional cuisines like halwa, payasam, malpua and kheer. Raw bananas have an equally special place for most delicacies; they are used to make chips, kebabs, pakodas, and some of the famous curries like avial and kalan from south India. Basically, bananas are versatile and super-heroes of your fruit basket.(Also Read -Don't Throw Them Just Yet! 7 Ingenious Ways To Use Banana Peels)
 _{Banana - The simplest fruit}Ripened bananas are used to make breads and muffins, smoothies and milkshakes, pancakes, cookies and ice cream. You heard us! We can do so much using ripened bananas. If you are planning to make one of these and waiting for the bananas to go ripe, then we have ways to ripen a banana quickly. Here's how to ripen bananas in quick and easy ways.

Note: Bananas emit a molecule known as ethylene. This gas or compound helps in processing the sugars within the fruit, allowing the banana to soften and change color.

How to Ripen Bananas

1. Use a paper bag

Paper bag creates an incubator effect around the banana, trapping the gases it usually lets off as it ripens, thereby speeding up the process. Basically, you have to produce ethylene gas naturally to ripen it; which is why you will need to add other fruits to the paper bag. The other fruits that release this gas are apples, pears, avocados, kiwi or apricots. Make sure these fruits are already ripe, so they release more of this gas.

(Also Read - Apple Fruit Benefits: 8 Incredible Health Benefits of Apple That You May Not Have Known)

_{Paper bag for Ripen Banana}

2. Put the banana in the oven

Place the raw bananas on a lined baking sheet in the oven and heat them for about 15 to 30 minutes till they turn black. Make sure the temperature isn't too high. Do not put more than three bananas in one go, as you will need the warm air to circulate freely. Once the banana peels turn black, you will know they have softened and become ripened. Let them cool before peeling them off.

_{Ripened Banana}

3. Use warm places

If you don't want to use an oven, use other warm sources like the top of the refrigerator, which is generally heated. This will help ripen bananas quickly; however, keep checking the fruits every once in a while.4. Keep them together

Get a bunch of bananas and let them stay and ripen together and wrap them in a foil. This way, they will ripen in about 24 hours if not quickly. Basically, more consolidation means more ethylene emitted in one area.(Also Read - 6 Red Banana Health Benefits You Wouldn't Know About)

_{Bunch of Bananas}

These simple and quick ways to ripen bananas come handy in case you need to cook some delicacy. Do not wait to get your hands on your favourite foods. Go bananas!