The dark spots on the skin of the banana are not a sign of rotten fruit but are the signs of ripening of a banana. The more black-brown spots on the bananas the better it is to consume.
Ultimately, as long as your banana is not moldy, and is not slimy or overly soft and squishy when you remove the peel, it is safe to eat brown bananas. A banana with brown spots or freckles is fine. These spots are one indicator of ripeness (smell is another indicator—more on a banana's fragrance in a minute).
These spots are commonly referred to as bruises. These bruises mean that the fruit is ripe and that the acid within has been converted to sugar. In other words, the banana is at the peak of its sweetness. It's just a preference for most people.
What caused it? The symptoms are caused by the natural ripening process of bananas. They continue to ripen even after they are harvested. The spots are signaling that starch is processed to sugar, implying that a large number of brown spots would mean a high level of sugar.
Spotted Bananas
Not only do brown spots show that a banana has aged, but they also indicate how much starch has been converted to sugar. Think of all those brown spots as little sugar freckles. Ultimately, the greater number of brown spots a banana has, the more sugar it contains.
Banana freckle appears as dark raised spots and feels like fine sandpaper on the leaves or fruit.
Rotten bananas will often have a fermented or alcohol-like smell. While it's okay if the banana peel is dark brown or even black, if the inside is too, then the fruit is beyond ripe and now on its way to rotten. Another sign that bananas have gone bad is if they start leaking any fluids.
Keep plastic wrap on.
Sometimes, when you buy a bunch of bananas, there is plastic wrap wound around the fruits' crown. Keep that wrap on; the ethylene gas that leads to enzymatic browning releases from the top of the fruit.
Bananas can naturally develop green spots or patches as they ripen. These spots indicate that the banana is undergoing the natural ripening process and is perfectly safe to eat.
In some banana varieties, especially those grown in certain climates or exposed to certain environmental conditions, anthocyanins can accumulate in the skin, resulting in red or orange spots. These pigments act as antioxidants and may provide health benefits.
They're immature seeds, but, unlike other fruit seeds, these seeds won't develop into full, functional seeds. This means that you can't just plant a banana and grow a banana tree. Of course, most fruit trees don't naturally produce fruit with seeds that won't mature.
The brown spots on a very ripe banana indicate that even more starch has been converted to sugar. Scientists have found a fully ripe banana produces a substance called tumour necrosis factor (TNF) which has the ability to combat abnormal cells and boost our immunity against cancer.
Yes, dogs can eat bananas. In moderation, bananas are a great low-calorie treat for dogs. They're high in potassium, vitamins, biotin, fiber, and copper. They are low in cholesterol and sodium, but because of their high sugar content, bananas should be given as a treat, not part of your dog's main diet.
Ethylene-producing fruits, such as apples, bananas, peaches and honeydew melons, should not be stored next to avocados, lemons, grapes, onions and other fruits or vegetables that are sensitive to this compound. Also, you should never store ethylene-producing fruits together.
The ideal place to store bananas is on the countertop, where they can ripen naturally. You can refrigerate bananas once they've achieved your ideal level of ripeness; however, refrigerating bananas too soon or for too long can have detrimental effects on your bunch.
Do bananas last longer in the fridge or on the counter? If a banana is already ripe, it can last longer kept in the refrigerator as it will prevent further ripening. But if a banana isn't already ripe, don't store it in there as it won't ripen – you should keep green bananas out of the refrigerator.
Yes, you can absolutely store bananas in the fridge. Just keep in mind that the cool, dry climate slows the ripening process, which is why bananas aren't refrigerated in the supermarket. In other words, if you put green, unripe bananas in the fridge, they're likely to stay that way.
High amounts of ethylene cause the yellow pigments in bananas to decay into those characteristic brown spots in a process called enzymatic browning.
Louisiana Fresh states that bananas with black or moldy stems may not be safe. Also, make sure there are no soft spots. If the fruits have an unusual color, such as gray or dull yellow, they may have been stored improperly. A strange odor might be a sign of mold or spoilage, in which case you should discard the fruits.
Sharma comments, “The more the black spots on banana skin, the riper it is. It may look too ugly to be consumed, but it's definitely nutritious for the body. As the antioxidant properties increase in the ripened banana, its ability to boost the immune system also goes up.”
A ripened banana can be popped in the fridge for up to a couple of weeks and even if the peel turns brown or black the flesh will be good to eat. You can then peel the banana and cut it up for the fussy eaters to be none the wiser.
But bananas are healthy and safe to eat at any stage of their development. The next time you reach for one, remember that a banana that's a little green might have slightly more gut-friendly fiber than one that's completely ripe or overripe (those might be better for one of our healthy banana dessert recipes).