Mold
A leaking or oozing peel
A strong fermented or rotten smell
Extremely mushy flesh accompanied by signs of spoilage
Unusual discoloration inside
If you see visible mold, it is safest to discard the banana rather than simply cutting away the affected section.
The Bottom Line
A banana covered with brown spots is usually ripe rather than ruined. It tends to be softer and sweeter because some of its starch has been converted into sugars.
As long as there are no clear signs of spoilage, a ripe banana can still be a delicious and nutritious choice. So the next time your bananas start developing those little brown spots, you don’t necessarily need to throw them away—they may actually be at their sweetest and most useful stage for cooking and baking.
