Bananas are normally seen as an ordinary healthy snack or an obscure prop in sleazy movies, but there is so much more to them than meets the eye (or orifice)…

Ever had trouble peeling a banana? Snap the top back and you’ll normally end up with a partially mashed pulp. Normally we have the upper edge on apes when it comes to tool use but on this they have us beat. Simply grab the tail end and squeeze to open the skin without bruising.

Further impress lunch time voyeurs and reduce oral sex puns by slicing your banana without opening the skin. Use a needle to poke holes down the spine of the banana and wiggle the needle side to side in each hole. Serve soon after preparation to avoid over ripening the fruit.

More practically, bananas can be used to ripen other fruits and flowers. This is because they produce ethylene gas. Place the bananas or their skins next to green tomatoes to speed up their transition. To slow down the ripening process, stick ripe (yellow) bananas in the fridge. The skin will turn brown, but the fruit itself will remain unspoiled for a couple of weeks.