Nutrition Diet: Why not put bananas with other fruits?

October 7, 2025 •

4 min read

According to a study cited by the Webstaurant Store, on average each year, restaurants lose tens of thousands of dollars to spoiled food, and improper storage is a key contributor. A common kitchen oversight is storing bananas with other produce, which can prematurely ruin an entire fruit bowl due to a simple but powerful gaseous hormone.

Quick Summary

Bananas produce a natural ripening agent called ethylene gas, which accelerates the spoilage of nearby fruits and vegetables. Keeping them separate is a key food preservation strategy that maximizes freshness and prevents premature spoilage.

Key Points

Ethylene Gas is the Culprit: Bananas release ethylene, a natural plant hormone that significantly accelerates the ripening and spoilage of nearby fruits and vegetables.
Separate Climacteric and Non-Climacteric Fruits: Bananas, apples, and avocados are climacteric (continue to ripen after harvest) and should be stored away from non-climacteric fruits like berries and grapes.
Strategic Storage Slows Spoilage: Proper separation prevents the high concentration of ethylene gas from affecting sensitive produce, extending the freshness and quality of your groceries.
Refrigerate Ripe Bananas: Once bananas have reached your desired ripeness, moving them to the refrigerator can prolong their life by slowing the ripening process.
Use Natural Storage Aids: Hanging bananas on a hook or wrapping the stems can improve air circulation and slow the release of ethylene, further extending their shelf life.
Reduces Food Waste: Implementing correct storage practices, like keeping bananas separate, is a simple and effective way to minimize premature spoilage and reduce household food waste.

The Science Behind Premature Ripening

The secret to proper fruit storage lies in understanding the science of ethylene gas. Ethylene is a naturally occurring plant hormone that plays a crucial role in the ripening process. While this gas helps fruits mature, it can also become a problem in a shared fruit bowl. Bananas are particularly potent ethylene producers, and as they ripen, they release this gas, which signals other fruits to ripen as well. In a closed or crowded environment, the gas becomes trapped, intensifying its effect on nearby produce and leading to faster, sometimes uneven, ripening and eventual spoilage.

Climacteric vs. Non-Climacteric Fruits

Not all fruits and vegetables respond to ethylene in the same way. The produce aisle can be split into two main categories: climacteric and non-climacteric fruits.

Climacteric Fruits: These fruits continue to ripen and produce significant amounts of ethylene after being harvested. Bananas, avocados, apples, and peaches fall into this category. Their ripening is autocatalytic, meaning an initial production of ethylene stimulates more production, accelerating the process. These are the fruits you need to store with care.
Non-Climacteric Fruits: These fruits do not ripen further after being picked and are generally not as sensitive to ethylene gas. Examples include grapes, berries, and citrus fruits like oranges and lemons. However, even non-climacteric fruits can be affected by the high concentrations of ethylene released by climacteric fruits, causing flavor changes or accelerating decay.

The Impact on Your Produce

Storing bananas with other fruits has tangible consequences for your kitchen and your wallet. For instance, a perfectly ripe banana next to a firm avocado can result in a brown, mushy avocado in just a day or two. Similarly, placing bananas in the same bowl as sensitive berries can drastically shorten the berries' shelf life. The principle extends beyond just fruit; ethylene can also affect vegetables, causing leafy greens to yellow and wilt prematurely. This domino effect of accelerated spoilage is a primary cause of household food waste.

Proper Storage Techniques for Maximum Freshness

Fortunately, avoiding premature spoilage is a simple matter of strategic separation. By understanding which fruits are ethylene producers and which are sensitive, you can create a storage system that keeps everything at its peak freshness for longer.

Here are some best practices:

Isolate Ethylene Producers: Keep high-ethylene producing fruits like bananas and apples in a separate fruit bowl or a designated area of the kitchen. This prevents the gas from spreading to other produce.
Use the Refrigerator Strategically: For bananas that are already ripe, moving them to the refrigerator can slow down further ripening. While the peel may turn brown, the fruit inside will remain fresh for a few more days. Unripe bananas, however, should be kept at room temperature as the cold can halt their ability to ripen properly.
Wrap the Stems: Wrapping the crown (stem) of a banana bunch in plastic wrap or foil can help trap some of the ethylene gas at its source, slightly delaying the ripening process.
Maximize Airflow: Storing produce in crowded bowls or sealed containers traps ethylene gas and moisture, creating an ideal environment for accelerated ripening and mold growth. A banana hanger is an excellent solution for preventing bruising and promoting optimal air circulation.

A Practical Guide to Fruit and Veggie Storage


Produce Type	Ethylene Production	Storage Recommendation	Why it works
Bananas (unripe)	High	Countertop, away from other produce	Allows for natural ripening without affecting others.
Bananas (ripe)	High	Refrigerator, away from other produce	Slows down further ripening and spoilage.
Avocados	High (when ripening)	Counter to ripen, fridge once ripe	Ripen on their own, then move to a colder, slower environment.
Apples	High	Refrigerator, in crisper drawer	Keeps fresh for weeks; needs separation from sensitive items.
Berries (Strawberries, Blueberries)	Low	Refrigerator, in original container	Ethylene-sensitive; needs cold storage and air circulation.
Citrus Fruits (Oranges, Lemons)	Low	Refrigerator (best) or countertop	Ethylene-insensitive, but refrigeration extends freshness.
Leafy Greens (Lettuce, Spinach)	Low	Refrigerator, airtight container	Highly ethylene-sensitive; requires high humidity and isolation.
Tomatoes	High	Countertop until ripe, fridge for short-term	Ripens at room temperature; fridge can cause loss of flavor.

Conclusion: A Simple Habit for a Healthier Diet

Adopting a smarter storage strategy is an easy yet impactful way to improve your nutrition diet and reduce household waste. By understanding that bananas are prolific producers of ethylene gas, you can avoid the frustrating cycle of premature spoilage in your fresh produce. Simple changes, like separating bananas from other fruits and using dedicated storage spaces, can extend the life of your produce and ensure you get the most nutritional value and flavor from every purchase. This small change in kitchen habits can lead to a significant reduction in food waste over time.

Visit a Purdue Extension guide for more produce storage tips.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ethylene gas is a natural plant hormone that many fruits, especially bananas and apples, produce as they ripen. As a gas, it signals other nearby fruits to also ripen and mature. A high concentration of this gas can speed up the ripening process to the point of premature spoilage.

You should store bananas separately from produce that is sensitive to ethylene gas. This includes berries, grapes, leafy greens, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, and bell peppers. Apples are also high ethylene producers, so they should be stored away from both bananas and sensitive produce.

Yes, but only once they have reached your preferred level of ripeness. Refrigeration slows the ripening process, extending the life of the banana fruit inside, though the peel will likely turn brown or black due to the cold.

Climacteric fruits, such as bananas, avocados, and peaches, continue to ripen after they are harvested and release ethylene gas. Non-climacteric fruits, like berries, grapes, and citrus, do not ripen after picking and are often sensitive to ethylene.

If you want to speed up the ripening of another fruit, like a hard avocado or pear, place it in a paper bag with a ripe banana. The bag traps the ethylene gas, accelerating the ripening process for the other fruit.

It is not recommended to keep all fruits in a single bowl, especially if you have high ethylene producers like bananas and apples. The trapped gas in a crowded bowl will cause all the fruit to ripen and spoil more quickly.

Yes, wrapping the stem of a banana bunch tightly in plastic wrap or foil can help because the majority of the ethylene gas is released from this part of the fruit. This simple hack can help extend the banana's shelf life.

No, once bananas are peeled and frozen, they no longer produce significant amounts of ethylene gas and will not affect other frozen foods. Freezing is a great way to preserve overripe bananas for later use in smoothies or baking.

Store all vegetables, especially ethylene-sensitive ones like leafy greens, broccoli, and carrots, in separate crisper drawers or away from any fruit, particularly bananas. A high-humidity drawer is ideal for most vegetables.

Bruised or damaged fruit can compromise its skin, allowing for more oxygen exposure and potentially triggering higher ethylene production as a stress response. This can lead to faster decay in both the bruised fruit and those stored nearby.