Select

Choose bright, not dull, yellow bananas with some green near the stems.

Store

Keep them on a countertop, unbagged, to ripen at room temperature. Don't refrigerate an unripe banana--the cold causes the skin to turn brown and prevents the fruit from ripening properly.
Life span: 3 to 5 days.

Good to Know:

Peel bananas from the bottom to avoid most of the stringy fibers. To make a healthy substitute for banana ice cream, slice a ripe banana into thin rounds, place them on a baking sheet, cover, and freeze. Bag the slices once they're frozen.