Ripen Fruit Faster by Putting It in a Paper Bag With a Banana

Many fruits are picked before they are ripe and need time to ripen at home. You can speed this up dramatically. Bananas and apples naturally emit ethylene gas, a plant hormone that triggers ripening. A closed paper bag traps and concentrates this gas around the fruit.

Place your unripe avocados, peaches, pears, or tomatoes in a brown paper bag with a banana. Fold the top closed and leave it at room temperature. Check daily — most fruit will ripen in one to three days instead of a week. Do not use a plastic bag — it traps too much moisture and can cause rot before the fruit ripens.