I always had a tough time finding bananas in a ripened state in which I preferred them – either they were overripe or they were still green. Now, I have found a solution – I have learnt how to ripe bananas. So…what I have to do is have some green bananas and ripen them to an exact level which I love. If you are thinking that this is too good to be true – just follow my method and try it yourself.

The process of ripening bananas requires you to have
• Green bananas
• Paper bag
• Apple

Step 1: Start by placing all the green bananas inside a paper bag along a whole apple.
Step 2: You have to fold the top very slowly and securely below just on the bag.
(The apple which is placed inside the bag helps in the ripening of bananas. It emits a gas known as ethylene gas which works towards the ripening of the bananas in the next 24 hours.)
Step 3: Check the bag after 24 hours to find how much the banana has ripened.

If you find that the ripening is enough for your recipe - you are done – take it out and use it as you wish. If you need a little more, you can keep it for a few more hours checking it quite often or else the bananas might overripe.
Tip: If you wish bananas to ripen before 24 hours, you can put them inside a preheated oven (330 degree F) and let them be for an hour or more. You will find that the skin of the banana is getting black which means your bananas have ripened. Check the softness and use it as per your recipe.

Image courtesy: i.ehow ; rsc.