You’re about to serve a delicious fruit salad when you look down to find your sliced bananas have turned brown. You’ve only just cut them! What happened? Like many fruits, bananas are prone to oxidation. This means that when the flesh of the banana is left out for too long, it’ll turn brown.[1] Thankfully, we have the best tips and tricks to keep a sliced banana from discoloring so your banana desserts and dishes look absolutely perfect.

Things You Should Know

  • Cover banana slices in lemon, lime, orange, pineapple, grapefruit, or apple juice to add a sweet flavor and keep them from oxidizing.
  • Store cut bananas in an air-tight container to reduce the amount of oxygen they touch.
  • Try sprinkling a fruit preservation powder on the bananas for quick protection.
1

Keep sliced banana fresh with soda water.

  1. Soda water helps preserve fruit without altering the taste. Like fruit juice, soda water creates a protective barrier between the fruit’s flesh and the air, slowing oxidation. The bonus? It doesn’t change the taste of the bananas! This makes it an ideal hack for picky eaters. Simply sprinkle some of the soda over the bananas or soak them for a couple of minutes before serving.[2]
    • Be sure to use soda water or club soda. Tonic water, a very similar beverage, has a strong flavor that doesn't pair well with bananas.
  2. Advertisement
2

Cover the banana slices in fruit juice.

  1. The acidity in fruit juice forms a protective layer on sliced bananas. Although the type of juice you use will change the taste of your banana, it will also keep it from turning brown. Try using lemon, lime, orange, pineapple, grapefruit, or apple juices. Buy a 100% juice, fruit concentrate, or squeeze your own and then sprinkle it on top of the slices.[3]
    • Lemon juice is the most commonly used juice for this hack and adds a subtle, complementary tang to your fruit.
    • If you’re making a fruit salad, consider tossing all the cut fruits in the juice. Pick a juice that brightens the salad, like pineapple or grapefruit.
    • Some users of this hack prefer diluting the juice with a 1 to 1 ratio of water, so it doesn’t have such a strong flavor; however, this can weaken the acidity and cause the bananas to brown.
3

Sprinkle citric acid over the slices to preserve freshness.

  1. Fruit preservation powders use citric acid to keep sliced fruit from oxidizing. These powders are specifically designed to keep your sliced banana from turning brown. Basically, the powder is a dried-up version of the citric acid found in lemons, limes, grapefruits, and oranges. All you have to do is put your banana slices in a bowl of water and follow the instructions on the back of the packaging, adding the right amount of powder to water ratio. Let them soak for 3 to 5 minutes and drain.[4]
    • These powders typically have no taste, but some argue that adding too much could alter the taste of the fruit.
  2. Advertisement
4

Sweeten and keep bananas fresh with honey.

  1. A honey and water mixture can help prevent sliced bananas from turning brown. The honey technique works similarly to the acidity in fruit; however, it leaves behind a much sweeter taste and stickier texture. Combine 2 tbsp (28 g) with 1 c (128 g) of water, then pour the mixture over the banana slices.[5]
    • Try adding cinnamon or brown sugar to the mixture for an extra sweet snack.
6

Dissolve Vitamin C in water to slow browning.

  1. Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is a natural food preserving agent. When mixed with water, it can help prevent your banana slices from browning as it blocks air from getting to the fruit. Buy the product in a powder or tablet form (double check that it’s food safe) and follow the instructions on the packet. Once the powder or tablet is dissolved in water, place the banana slices into the solution for 3 to 5 minutes, drain, and then serve.[7]
    • The ascorbic acid may leave a slightly bitter, acidic flavor on your bananas, so consider this trick when using sliced bananas to decorate desserts. This way, the difference in taste won’t be as noticeable among the other ingredients.
7

Cover or store sliced bananas to limit air exposure.

  1. Place banana slices between wax paper or put them in an air-tight container. The fruit flesh of a banana will start to oxidize the second you remove the peel. If you move quickly enough, you can get them into another means of storage before they turn an ugly, mushy brown. Toss the bananas into a container with a lid to place in the fridge, or lay the slices evenly in between 2 sheets of wax paper before putting in the fridge or freezer.[8]
    • Try adding lemon juice or citric acid to the slices before storing them in a container or between wax paper, so they last even longer.
    • With an added layer of lemon juice or citric acid, bananas can last 3 to 4 days stored this way.
  2. Advertisement
8

Soak already browned slices in pineapple or grapefruit juice.

  1. The acidity of pineapple and grapefruit juice could revive browned bananas. Dump the discolored banana into a bowl and cover them with juice for 10 to 15 minutes. They won’t turn their original pale yellow color, but they’ll look fresher and more delicious.

Community Q&A

  • Question
    Should I blot extra juice off the bananas when making banana cream pie?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Yes, because too much extra water can cause your pie to crumble excessively.
  • Question
    Can I use the juice from oranges?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Yes, any citrus juice should help with discoloration.
  • Question
    After lightly brushing cut bananas with lemon juice they got mushy. Why does this happen? How else can I prevent bananas from turning brown in recipes?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Instead of brushing, try spritzing with a dollar store sprayer. Brushing might be adding too much fluid and thus soaking the bananas.
Advertisement

About This Article

Aly Rusciano
Co-authored by:
wikiHow Staff Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Aly Rusciano. Aly Rusciano is a Creative Writer based outside of Nashville, Tennessee. She has over ten years of experience in creative, academic, and professional writing. Aly’s writing has been nationally recognized in the Sigma Tau Delta Rectangle and featured in Blue Marble Review, The Sunshine Review, PopMatters, and Cathartic Literary Magazine. She graduated from The University of Tennessee at Martin with a BA in English, focusing in Creative Writing and minoring in Theatre. This article has been viewed 803,300 times.
8 votes - 100%
Co-authors: 19
Updated: January 31, 2023
Views: 803,300
Article SummaryX

To keep sliced bananas from discoloring, dip the banana slices into fruit juice, like lemon juice, orange juice, apple juice, or lime juice. If you're worried about the fruit juice affecting the taste of the banana, you can dip the slices in soda water or club soda instead. Even just dipping the slices in tap water can help prevent discoloring, although it may not be as effective as using fruit juice or soda water. To learn other remedies you can try, like diluted vinegar and citric acid, keep reading!

Did this summary help you?
If you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission.
Advertisement