Keep bananas fresh for two weeks with expert's genius storage hack

Bananas, a common item in many weekly grocery hauls. Unfortunately, don't last very long. They might stay ripe for up to four days if the weather's cool , but heat can slash that time significantly.

While brown bananas are perfect for whipping up some banana bread, it's frustrating when they go off too fast. Luckily, experts have come forward with tips to extend bananas' lifespan to a whopping 14 days .

Many people tend to leave their bananas on the counter or in a fruit bowl, thinking it keeps them fresher. But one pro suggests that stashing them in the fridge could actually add up to 11 days to their shelf life.

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Kate Hall, food guru and creator of The Full Freezer, advises that once bananas hit your preferred ripeness, chucking them in the fridge away from other fruits is the way to go.

She also mentioned: "If bananas are past the point of us wanting to eat them, you can peel them and then freeze them."

Frozen bananas are great for smoothies, thawed for banana bread, or turned into homemade ice cream.

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• Ensure bananas ripen on time with this expert storage tip

Professional baker and chef Sarah Bridenstine points out that bananas have unique storage requirements for longevity.

She recommends: "To speed up the ripening of green bananas, bag them up. The gases they emit will work their magic. Once they're perfectly cool, keep them cool to slow down over-ripening. Fridge them once they're ripe to halt the blackening.

"The insides will still be sweet. Bananas release crazy amounts of gas that can prematurely ripen nearby fruit so store them separately."

"If you have overripe bananas, you have a baking jackpot. You can make bread, smoothies or even sugar, don't toss them."