Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

Fruit matures at much rapid rate when sealed in a plastic bag. Simply leave the bananas in the clear plastic bag you purchased them in -- tied in a not at the top -- and they will be extremely ripe in no time. On the same note, I always take caution when leaving fruits or veggies in the clear, plastic produce bags... they go bad quickly.

Also, bananas turn black when placed in the fridge or freezer. But, they are not actually ripening, which is what you want for banana bread: a riper banana is sweeter because of a chemical compisition change. Thus, putting a banana in the fridge or freezer actually conserves it, impeding the ripening process. Generally, I put bananas in the fridge when they are starting to go bad and would like to conserve them... the skin will turn brown or black, but the insides will mature much more slowly. Also, when my bananas are black and sweet to the point I do not want them to ripen more, but I am not ready to make banana bread, I store them in the freezer for up to three months -- this stops the ripening of the banana, despite the color of the peel.

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"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." -- e e cummings

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