How can you ripen bananas quickly?

Ripen bananas quickly by placing them in a paper bag. Avoid exposing them to cool temperatures to hasten the ripening process.

1. Avoid storing bananas in plastic bags

   For bananas to ripen evenly, they should not be stored in plastic bags from the grocery store. Removing them from the plastic lets air and gases circulate, which is necessary for proper ripening.

2. Place bananas in a paper bag

   For bananas that are still green or that haven't reached their peak ripeness, put them in a paper bag. The bag traps the gases released by the bananas, helping them to ripen more quickly. Place a single banana or a bunch in the bag.

3. Add a tomato or an apple

   To speed the ripening process, add a tomato or an apple to the bag. Both fruits add to the gases being released by the banana, causing the banana to ripen much quicker.

4. Keep bananas warm

   Cooler temperatures slow down ripening. Do not store bananas in the refrigerator unless they have reached their peak ripeness. Put the bag of bananas in a warm spot, such as the top of the refrigerator, to allow the bananas to stay at an optimal temperature to ripen them as fast as possible.