Why are bananas so bleddy awful??

[wildflowersplease]

I hardly ever eat them these days. They go from green, to green-tinged with a hint of brown. Nothing in between - they never seem to stay yellow - and I'm not fussy about much, but I am about my bananas. I want the skin perfectly yellow and firm, please.

WHAT IS THE DEAL? I feel like they've been like this since about lockdown - is there an actual reason? Is it climate change?? Brexit?! Yeah, I know, most EU countries are not v well known for their banana harvest... 😂

I feel like this was maybe spoken about a while back, but now everyone's just gone quiet and accepts the crap bananas. I miss the old ones! Any words of comfort for me??

Mine are, mostly, ok tbh.
Occasionally the will ripen too quickly and go yellow to overripe in a couple of days, but not often. I buy from Aldi or Asda and they’ve been fine.
How do you store them? I have mine on a banana tree, well away from other fruit which can speed up their ripening iirc.

You know, I agree with the OP. I used to adore bananas but over the past few years (and nothing has changed about how or where I store them) they seem either to not be ripe enough to eat or overripe (I can't bear overripe bananas) with seldom a stage in between.

They are awful. I was in Morrisons earlier and every banana in there was green. I find of you buy the green ones they riped too quickly and sometimes go from green to brown almost overnight. The Tesco Ripe Bananas are the only half decent ones now. Even M&S isn't reliable.

I suspect they’re transported in chilled containers, which isn’t ideal.

I keep getting crap bananas. The other day I opened a reasonable looking one and it had thick red veins running through it - never seen that before!

I've never had much of a problem with getting bananas just the way you enjoy them OP; firm and yellow, barely a mark on the skin.
Very occasionally, if the banana is looking a bit thin for example, and not yet a clear yellow, it hangs around for a week or so, and never fully loses it's greenish tinge.
That happens very seldom though.
Bananas generally are having a tough time.
Due to disease, they are being threatened with extinction; scientists are working on genetically modifying bananas so that they are resistant to "TR4".
There are 5 countries that export to the UK, maybe you're getting the same brand of banana at your store and they're not the best?

I must be buying them in the wrong places :-( though I do shop around and don't stick to the one store. Maybe it'll have to be Waitrose next! Yes, @Diggetydawg , I think Morrisons is possibly the worst - had exactly the same experience there today. Every single banana green, even the ones with stickers round them saying "Ripe and Ready". Ummm, no!!!

@MrsSkylerWhite would they not always have been transported in chilled containers, though? I feel they were fine from about 5 years ago back .....

This past year, they have really become awful. They never seem to ripen and go from green to brown and are still hard.

I haven't bought any in a while, I fancy eating some then all the ones in local stores look like they're turning putrid. I think them sweating in plastic doesn't help.

I've just had a perfect banana. Only slightly speckled, nice and sweet but nowhere near mushy.

Last week's were awful though, they were crunchy even when they're turned yellow. Tried them with custard just to get them eaten and we all just ate the custard 😁

Sometimes they look ok but are blackish in the middle.

Lidl bananas are grim. Morrison's not much better. The ones I buy from Sainsbury's or Tesco are fine, they ripen properly to yellow and speckles.

This is due to a type of fungus, Nigrospora. Apparently safe but looks gross and affects the texture
https://inspection.canada.ca/en/food-safety-consumers/fact-sheets/specific-products-and-risks/fruits-and-vegetables/red-fungus-inside-bananas

I don't think they even taste like bananas nowadays, they just taste of nothing.

Didn't know they were threatened with extinction!

strings! arrgh hate banana strings, they seem to have loads in them lately

I so agree op . I find some have a powdered consistency or they're tasteless and slimy 🤢 it's really hard to find a good tasting banana these day's 😭

I think they still get beautiful yellow bananas in Europe. Lovely fruit there all round, in fact, whenever I've been in a supermarket in France or Italy the last few years.

Grrr!!!

LOL..."led to false claims of bananas containing blood" What next 🙄

I had some M&s bananas & they were so much nicer than Aldi, Lidl etc. They didn't have that weird poopy stink either.

Yes! Exactly the same here - and I’ve tried all the supermarkets. Used to love a banana on my break now they make me gag. A colleague recently said “I have something for you” and gave me a banana! She watched while I ate it, I was terrified but it was fine! The only good one I’ve had in a couple of years (should’ve asked where she bought it…)

I've just made a banana sponge with my one remaining banana... Sliced the banana put it in a greased pyrex. Drizzled golden syrup on. Made a 4 4 2 Sponge and added some custard powder... It's going in the oven soon. Will put a pic on later x

It depends on a branch. Near me, Waitrose and Tesco were shite, Lidl had lovely ones. Never had a poopy stink from Lidl either, but noticed that the ones which come packed in plastic, smell strange, regardless where they are from.

I agree that there's definitely been a change in bananas in the last few years. We've all noticed at home. Wondered if it was anything to do with Brexit/the way they're transported. I'm not sure but they're not as good as they were either in the way they ripen or their taste.

No issues with bananas here. I shop in Lidl,try to get a mixed bunch the old man likes them green,I like them ripe..yes,store them away from other fruit,my neighbour puts them in the fridge,you shouldn't, they go weird. They are picked unripe and arrive here in banana container boats. I find pears a problem.

Banana Custard Sponge Pudding and Custard