Bananas are ideal for a quick, healthy and tasty snack, but if you buy a whole bunch it can be easy to let some go to waste if they aren’t eaten quickly enough.

Bananas ripen very quickly as they produce ethylene gas – a natural chemical compound that promotes ripening. As the fruit releases this gas it stimulates enzymes to break down starch into sugar, giving bananas their wonderfully sweet taste, and it also causes the fruit tissues to soften as the cells break down. The release of the gas is also what prompts the change in colour from green to yellow, and eventually brown, as the fruit ripens.

But with proper storage you can increase the shelf life of bananas without compromising their flavour or texture, which in turn will help stop the fruit going to waste, acccording to a Martin Lewis MSE food storage hack.

According to Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert (MSE) bananas should never be stored in the fridge or you risk turning the peel black. Instead, the fruit is best stored in a cool place, such as in a cupboard or on the side of your kitchen counter.

MSE spoke to the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) charity for tips on reducing food waste and uncovered that keeping fresh bananas in the fridge is a no-no.

WRAP explains: “Keep your bananas somewhere nice and cool, in a cupboard or on the side. Bananas will go black in the fridge.”

The charity adds that cooked bananas can be stored in the fridge for up to two days, provided they are placed in an airtight container, while bananas that are starting to brown can be frozen for up to three months to be eaten later.

WRAP said: “Bananas can go brown quite quickly so if you see them start to go speckled, peel and freeze them to use later.

“When you take food or drink out of the freezer, it’s important to defrost it safely. Don’t defrost at room temperature. Ideally, defrost fully in the fridge and use within 24 hours. Or, use a microwave on the defrost setting.”