Bananas are tough . . . the time they're actually good and ripe is miniscule compared to how long they stay under ripe, and how quickly they go over ripe. I mean, when a banana is good and ripe, and I mean really good and ripe, they're a great fruit. Otherwise, when they're under ripe, they're hard, gritty, starchy, and funky tasting; if they're over ripe, they're essentially like eating overly sweetened mush.