While bananas are nutritious and delicious, they’re also notoriously quick to spoil, often turning brown before you've had a chance to eat them. Now, savvy shoppers are discovering a clever food storage hack that can stop waste in its tracks and keep bananas usable for up to three months.

With food prices still high and the cost of living biting, this simple hack could save you both money and trips to the shop. Plus, it's a way to reduce food waste – something non-profit WRAP (The Waste and Resources Action Programme) is passionate about; and this is why they're revealing how to keep bananas fresh.

According to WRAP, which runs the Love Food Hate Waste campaign, bananas can be frozen in a sealed bag or airtight container and stored safely for up to three months.

This method is ideal for when your banana skins start to go speckled and soft – simply peel them and pop them in the freezer.

Once frozen, they’re perfect for adding to smoothies, blitzing into banana bread batter, or even blending into a healthy ice cream alternative.

Just remember to defrost them in the fridge, not on the counter, to maintain food safety.

WRAP certifies: "Bananas can be frozen in a sealed bag or container for up to three months."

And when you defrost the banana, "it’s important to defrost it safely", WRAP adds, noting that the banana should be defrosted in the fridge and used "within 24 hours".

Alternatively, frozen bananas can be defrosted in the microwave on the "defrost setting".

If you'd rather not freeze the banana, the best place to store them is "somewhere nice and cool, in a cupboard or on the side".

Bananas should not, however, be stored in the fridge or else they will quickly brown.

Why freeze bananas?

Frozen bananas aren’t just practical – they’re incredibly versatile too. You can blend them straight from frozen for a creamy smoothie base, mix them into pancake batter, or mash them for baking.

For a sweet treat, try baking frozen bananas in the oven with a drizzle of honey for a warm, comforting dessert.

If you’re feeling adventurous, bananas can even be added to savoury dishes like vegetable curries or mashed into sandwich fillings.