Many people use social media as a source of "verified" information. In the "Experimental Site" section, we test the validity of tips from the internet.
Our expert is engineer Grigory LISITSKY, who has 30 years of experience in quality expertise.
Experiment: storing bananas.
Problem: bananas quickly turn black when stored.
Social media suggests wrapping the "tails" of bananas in plastic wrap to slow down the browning.
Planning and course of the experiment:
Different options were tested:
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bananas wrapped and not wrapped in film;
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bananas wrapped in two ways: only the "tails" and halfway;
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bananas stored at room temperature of +23–25°C and in the refrigerator at +5–6°C.
Results of observations
After 3 days, small dots appear on the skin.
After 6 days, the dots merge into brown spots. On the bananas in the refrigerator, the spots cover 10–15%, while in the room, they cover 30 to 50% with the "tail" closed and open, respectively.
After 10 days, all samples show an increase in spots, and the bananas in the room have softened and cracked.
After 13 days:
the bananas in the room have turned dark brown, but on the part of the banana that is wrapped in film, there are only a few small spots. All bananas are soft. Mold has appeared on the banana without film;
the bananas in the refrigerator have turned light brown, but on the wrapped part, there are only small dots. There is no noticeable difference in the degree of browning between the bananas with the closed and open "tails." The bananas are as firm as at the beginning of the research. The taste quality is good.
Conclusions
Wrapping the "tails" of bananas in film is not very effective. The most effective way to avoid browning is to wrap the entire banana and store it in the refrigerator.
By the way, due to their high content of potassium, magnesium, and vitamins B and C, bananas help normalize blood pressure and improve mood!
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