Fridge storage
How long do bananas last in the fridge?
About 3 days for bananas. That’s what Well Stockd plans on; the table below has the sources’ own times.
Times are for a fridge at 40°F (4°C) or below. They’re a guide, not a safety guarantee.
How we checked this: each storage time here is checked against the source named beside it, USDA FoodKeeper, USDA FSIS or another, before the page goes live. A time marked “Our estimate” is Well Stockd’s own, since FoodKeeper and FSIS give none. Editorial policy
How long they keep
- Unopened
- Ripen on the counter in 2 to 5 days; once ripe, the fridge holds them about 3 more days, though the peel blackens Source: USDA FoodKeeper: Bananas (opens in a new tab)
- Opened or cut
- Peeled or cut banana browns within an hour; toss with lemon juice and eat the same day Our estimate: FoodKeeper and FSIS give no time for this.
- Freezer
- About 3 months (90 days) at best quality. Frozen food stays safe indefinitely at 0°F; the time is about texture and flavor. Source: USDA FoodKeeper: Bananas (opens in a new tab)Compare freezer times for other foods on the printable freezer storage chart.
- How to store them
- Counter until ripe, away from other fruit unless you want to speed those up: bananas give off a lot of ethylene. Refrigerate only once ripe; cold stops the ripening for good. Peel and freeze in chunks for smoothies and banana bread.
How to tell if bananas have gone bad
Dates are estimates; these are the checks that actually decide it. Don’t taste food to check whether it has gone bad.
Throw them out at once if you see:
- Fermented or alcoholic smell
- Mold at the stem
Warning signs (throw them out if you notice more than one):
- Mushy, weeping flesh under the peel
- Fruit flies gathering on the bunch
Sources and limits
Write the date it went in on the container, and use it within 3 days. Don't wait for a weekly check.
Well Stockd doesn’t know when this food was harvested, packed, bought, opened or cooked. Write down the date you opened, cooked or refrigerated it, follow the package directions, keep your fridge at 40°F or below, and check the official listing when food safety is in question.
Each time in the table names its source beside it. A time marked “Our estimate” is Well Stockd’s own, because FoodKeeper and FSIS give none for that food in that state, and where our time differs from FoodKeeper’s, the row shows FoodKeeper’s figure too. The number at the top is Well Stockd’s own estimate. It’s a guide, not a safety guarantee: FoodKeeper says storage times are guidelines, and quality varies with how food is grown, handled, shipped and stored. This page was last updated .