Bananas should be plump, firm, and brightly colored. Look for unblemished fruit with their stem ends and skins intact. A split skin or stem may become an entry point for contamination. Bananas bruise easily, so handle them with care. To speed ripening, put them in a loosely closed paper bag (an apple in the bag will further speed the process). Once ripened to your liking, bananas can be held at room temperature for a day or two. Storing in the refrigerator to slow down ripening- although the skins will turn dark, the fruits will remain edible. You can keep refrigerated bananas for up to two weeks.