You bought a bunch of bananas, and to your surprise, they’re still green. Waiting for them to ripen naturally? Impossible when you’re craving a soft banana bread or a creamy smoothie. The days drag on, and the bananas seem determined to stay stubbornly under-ripe. If you’re eager to indulge in that sweet, caramelized flavor, there is a quick trick to speed up the ripening process.
The Gentle Method for the Patient Ones
Bananas are climacteric fruits, meaning they continue to ripen after they’ve been harvested thanks to a gas they naturally produce: ethylene. This gas triggers the production of enzymes that soften the flesh and convert starch into sugar. The longer you wait, the sweeter and more fragrant they become. But when you’re hungry, waiting several days is not an option.
If you have some time, there’s a simple technique to speed up the ripening process without rushing it. Just place your bananas in a paper bag along with other fruits like apples or pears. These fruits also release ethylene, which accelerates the process. After one or two days at room temperature, your bananas will be much softer and perfect for your recipes.
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The Quick Method in the Oven and the One with the Egg Yolk
According to Serious Eats, if you don’t have time to wait, get out the baking sheet. Place your whole bananas (without peeling them) in the oven at 150°C for about 20 minutes. Their skin will turn black, and the flesh will become soft and sweet, perfect for your recipes. A quick and convenient method to satisfy your sudden baking cravings.
An Even Faster and Surprising Method
There’s another method that’s even faster and quite surprising, and it comes from your fridge. By mixing slightly green bananas with an egg yolk, you can speed up the ripening process thanks to an enzyme called amylase. This enzyme quickly breaks down starch into simple sugars, just like ethylene, but at an accelerated rate.
To try it, simply mash 120g of banana, which is about the equivalent of one medium-sized fruit, and add one egg yolk. After mixing them together, cover the bowl and let it sit at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes. The result will be a perfectly sweet banana puree, ready to use for pancakes, cakes, or even a post-workout bowl.
Why Does This Really Work?
This trick works because it relies on a simple biological principle: the amylase in the egg yolk acts as a natural ripening accelerator. It breaks down the long starch chains in the banana into sugars that are easily absorbed. The result? You no longer have to wait for time to do the job, you control the process yourself.
It’s also a zero-waste alternative if you bought your fruits too early and don’t want to see them go to waste.
