Bananas and other fruits naturally emit a molecule called ethylene gas that hastens fruit ripening, which commercial banana producers use on unripe fruits to prepare them for the consumer. However, this same process can be detrimental once you get home, so there’s a trick to keeping your bananas fresh.

Separating each banana from the bunch is the most effective way of slowing down the ripening process. The large amount of ethylene gas produced by an intact bunch of bananas will ripen them faster, so removing each banana from the bunch will slow down the process and create less waste and sweeter fruit.

On the other hand, if you prefer your bananas riper or want them overripe to make banana bread, you can keep the bunch together to get them to your desired ripeness. An even quicker solution if you’re planning to make banana bread is to poke holes in the peel and put them in the microwave.