Secret Banana Messages

I love writing all kinds of secret messages, as you can tell from my previous post on invisible ink. So, when I heard that you can write secret messages on bananas, I was super excited. I quickly rushed to the store, bought some bananas, and started to write some secret messages. I hope you enjoy!

What you need:

• A banana
• A toothpick

Steps:

• Use the toothpick to poke small holes in the banana’s skin to spell out your secret message.

• Watch as your message begins to turn a dark brown after about 5 minutes.

• Peel the banana, and see how your message transferred onto the flesh of the banana.

Why does the secret message turn brown?

When we poke the cells of the banana skin, the cells release a chemical called polyphenol oxidase, which reacts with oxygen and creates a brown color. In general, when bananas naturally ripen, it is due to ethylene gas. Bananas naturally release ethylene gas, which breaks down cell walls and continues the browning process as the banana ripens.