Whisked by Sonora

Here is a quick guide of three different methods on how to quickly ripen bananas.

Let me guess: you promised to bring banana bread to work for Sherry’s birthday, completely forgot until the day before, and now you’re stuck with super-green or slightly underripe bananas. Don’t worry all is not lost. I have some tips that will help you get those bananas banana-bread ready so Sherry can still enjoy her birthday. Crisis averted!

If you have a couple of days to ripen them…

If you have a day or two before you need your bananas to be ripe, one easy way to speed up the process is to place them in a dark cabinet or pantry overnight. Bananas naturally release ethylene gas, which helps them ripen. Keeping them in a small, enclosed space traps more of that gas around the bananas, helping them soften and sweeten more quickly.

If you have on day…

For an even faster method, you can place the bananas in a paper bag and fold the top closed. This works the same way by trapping ethylene gas, but the paper bag still allows a little airflow. You can also add an apple or another ripe banana to the bag to help speed things up even more.

If you needed them ripe yesterday…

If your bananas are underripe and you need them ready ASAP, you can bake them. Place the unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and bake at 300°F–350°F for 15–30 minutes, or until the skins are completely black. Let them cool before peeling and adding them to your recipe. This method won’t ripen them in exactly the same way as time does, but it will soften the bananas and bring out more sweetness, making them perfect for banana bread in a pinch.

I hope this was helpful! And if you have other tricks you use to quickly ripen bananas feel free to leave them below! Happy baking!