SAVE THE BANANAS
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Musa species
FAMILY: Musaceae
Bananas are commonplace, but since they ripen quickly during the hot weather, they may become rare! What are the remedies?
Storage at 12.5°C is best (CSIRO 1979) and ripening at 18-22°C. Put ripe bananas into a sealed plastic bag in the fridge and they suffer less from cold damage. Don't refrigerate green bananas.
Alternatively, bananas can be cut from the plant by the hand, preferably starting with the top hands, as these develop and ripen first. This can be difficult with the tall varieties.
Another solution was published in 1970 in the Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, and later described in Harvest V.5, p.14. The method relies on potassium permanganate absorbing ethylene gas, which is released by ripening bananas and acts as a ripening agent. I tried this method last summer and found it very useful, hence worth printing again in modified form:
Make a saturated solution (some crystals remain) of potassium permanganate (Condy's crystals). Pour 1 tablespoon onto a double layer of newspaper, distributing well. Fold the newspaper several times to loosely cover the wet surface. Put the newspaper into a plastic bag holding a whole bunch or single hands of bananas. Final ripening of stored bananas should be outside the plastic bag.
Green bananas will store very well using this method. Half-coloured bananas will ripen more slowly than usual.
Note: Store and use the solution outside the house - it is a violet stain.
DATE: September 1982
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