Bananas are tropical fruits, that is, they like heat. The mania that everyone has is to keep them in the fridge, thinking that this way they will keep them longer. This is where everyone is wrong, bananas are not kept in the cold, on the contrary, low temperatures make their skin dark, as shown in the image above.
The browning of the skin takes place through the work of enzymes, more precisely of polyphenyloxidase. This enzyme reacts with the tannin present in the banana peel and the interaction between the substances gives rise to brown compounds that characterize rotten fruits. Often the skin color does not interfere with the quality of the banana, it may be black on the outside, but inside it will be suitable for consumption. A tip is to store the fruit at a temperature above 13°C, because below 10°C the bananas start to look not at all pleasant.
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The same does not happen when we put pears and apples in the fridge, these fruits are used to the cold, after all, the places more conducive to cultivation are places where the temperature is mild, such as in Argentina and the south of the country. Brazil.
By Líria Alves
Graduated in Chemistry
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SOUZA, Líria Alves de. "Darkened bananas, why do they get that color?"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/quimica/bananas-escurecidas-por-que-adquirem-essa-cor.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.
