Have you just bought ripe, yellow bananas and are annoyed that they turn brown after just a few days? But why do bananas actually turn brown? And can you still eat them? The answer can be found in the text.
Why do bananas turn brown?
When the peel of the bananas is brown, the flesh is often still surprisingly firm. However, thesefruits taste sweeterthan yellow or even green bananas. This is due to thehigher sugar content, whichincreases with the degree of ripeness and is also reflected in the dark discoloration.
Can you still eat bananas if they are brown?
Of course you can stilleat brown bananas without any problem - even if the peel is already completely dark in color. The pulp is often still intact and is just softer and sweeter than that of yellow or green specimens. Occasional brown spots on the flesh often come from bruises and can be eaten or simply cut away.
Are brown bananas he althy?
In fact, bananas with brown skin or brown spots are even considered he althier than green or yellow fruits: only at this stage is the fruit really ripe and develops its full flavor. Brown and therefore fully ripe bananas contain more sugar and less starch than unripe fruits, which is why they are easier to digest. They are also better suited as a he althy energy source in between.
Fully ripe bananas also help with these problems:
- regulating digestion for constipation and diarrhea
- Acid neutralizing for heartburn
- as a mood enhancer in depressive phases (contains tryptophan)
- lowering blood pressure due to the high potassium content
- for muscle cramps due to magnesium deficiency
Ripe, brown-spotted bananas are also said to help prevent cancer.
How to prevent bananas from turning brown?
Nevertheless, many people do not particularly like the sweet smell and taste as well as the soft consistency of brown bananas and prefer yellow or green fruits. This is hardly surprising, because our instinct, which has been developed over many millennia, advises us not to eat brown and soft things. The fact that things are different with bananas doesn't switch off our instinct.
However, with proper storage you can delay the ripening and thus browning of bananas:
- Always store bananas separately from other fruits.
- especially not near apples!
- keep as dark as possible and at room temperature
- If possible, do not store it lying down, but hang it up
Bananas can also be preserved easily, for example by drying or freezing.
What can you do with brown bananas?
You don't have to eat the bananas raw, though. If you want to benefit from the benefits of brown fruits but don't like the soft consistency, we recommend these processing options:
- Bake banana bread or fruit bread
- use in smoothies or desserts
- as a sweetener instead of granulated sugar, e.g. B. in cake
Tip
When can you stop eating a banana?
However, as with any food, there comes a point where you should no longer eat bananas. Mushy and/or rotten-smelling fruits are no longer suitable for consumption; even if there is mold, it is better to dispose of the affected fruit.
