You Bananas can be used in many ways, from healthy snacks to sweet baked goods. When kept at room temperature, bananas don’t last long, but that doesn’t mean you have to throw away overripe bananas. See our step-by-step guide below to learn how to freeze frozen bananas differently.
How to Freeze Bananas?
As bananas ripen, their starches break down into sugars, making them sweeter. When bananas get too ripe, they get mushy and brown spots that aren’t very attractive, but this is when they are the most precious. You can keep frozen bananas in the freezer for as long as you want, but they are at their freshest between three and six months. Here are three easy ways to freeze bananas to use in various recipes.
Unpeeled whole bananas:
Bananas can be peeled, cut into cubes, or mashed in banana bread or ice cream recipes. Put your bananas in the freezer with the peel on when they turn brown. They should be completely frozen in a few hours. Let them sit at room temperature for a few hours when you want to use them.
Whole peeled bananas:
Peel your bananas and put them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Put the bananas in the freezer and wait about two hours for them to freeze solid. If you don’t want to worry about taking the peels off your bananas after freezing them, don’t peel them before freezing them.
Keep the frozen, peeled bananas in the freezer in a bag that can go in the freezer. Squeeze out all the air to prevent freezer burn. You can let them thaw before using them, or put them in a blender while they are frozen and make a smoothie.
Peeled sliced bananas:
Banana smoothies are easier to blend when you use frozen bananas that have already been peeled. First, peel and cut your bananas into chunks or thin slices. Put them on a baking sheet with parchment paper and freeze them until they are hard. When your banana chunks are frozen, please put them in a large plastic bag or an airtight container and store them in your freezer.
What are the Uses of Frozen Bananas?
Here are 4 Ways to Use Frozen Bananas:
Banana Smoothie:
You don’t have to worry about your freezer being full of frozen bananas. Some recipes, like banana ice cream or smoothies, work better with frozen bananas that haven’t been thawed. Here are a few recipes for bananas you can make with frozen Fruit.
Banana Ice Cream:
Banana “ice cream” made with just one ingredient is a fruit purée made by blending frozen bananas. It has the same creamy texture as soft-serve ice cream or an old-fashioned milkshake, but it doesn’t add sugar or sweeteners.
People often say the banana ice cream was the first “nice cream,” which is now a term for any frozen fruit purée. Banana ice cream is made by blending set banana pieces or whole frozen bananas into a thick paste. Instead of an ice cream maker, which is often used to make regular ice cream, you can use a blender to make nice cream.
Before you blend the mixture a second time, you can add vanilla extract, peanut butter, or honey to make it sweeter. Put your medicine in a bowl and put it back in the freezer. Chill this healthy alternative to soft-serve ice cream for at least an hour before serving.
Banana Bread:
Banana bread is a quick bread made with ripe bananas that are moist and taste like cake. If you freeze bananas when soft and mature, they will be sweet and perfect for making banana bread with lots of flavors.
If you’re making banana bread with frozen bananas instead of fresh ones, drain the extra water after letting them thaw. Give frozen bananas at least two hours at room temperature, or run warm water over the freezer bag.
Banana Pancakes:
Banana pancakes are made by adding mashed or sliced bananas to the batter or putting sliced bananas on top of the cooked pancakes. This is similar to how you might make chocolate chip pancakes or pancakes with fresh blueberries.
If you don’t have any fresh, ripe bananas, you can make banana pancakes with sliced bananas that have been frozen. Let them sit out for about an hour before adding them to your favorite banana pancake recipe.
How to Freeze Sliced Bananas?
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat to freeze banana slices, so the banana doesn’t stick to the pan. Cut the banana into pieces about 1 inch long and place them in a single layer on the pan.
This will keep the bananas from sticking together. Freeze the bananas until they are firm, about 2 to 3 hours. Then put them in a container with a lid and put it in the freezer. (This will make sure they don’t get freezer burn.
How do you Freeze Them Without Turning Brown?
If frozen bananas have turned brown in the past, it’s likely because they were exposed to too much air in the freezer. This can happen if the container kept is not properly sealed.
Ensure your bananas are stored in an airtight container to keep them from turning brown and use them within three months for the best taste and texture. Technically, frozen bananas should be safe to eat for at least six months if they are stored properly, but in my experience, that’s when they start to get darker and less tasty.
I’ve found that 1 cup of thick banana slices is about the same as one large banana if you cut it into 1-inch pieces before freezing it. If you miss your bananas into slices thinner than 1 inch, you may get closer to 3/4 cup because they will fit more tightly into a measuring cup.
How to Thaw Frozen Bananas?
If you want to use a frozen banana in a recipe, like my vegan banana bread, take it out of the freezer and let it thaw in a bowl at room temperature for about 2 hours. (You can also put it in the fridge overnight to let it melt.) Remember that bananas don’t look very good when melted out of the freezer.
The banana will be mushy and give off a lot of liquid, but you want to use ALL of that liquid in the recipe because it’s what a fresh banana naturally gives off. Don’t be tempted to drain the liquid because it could change how your baked goods turn out.
How to Quickly Freeze Ripe Bananas?
Whole Banana
When bananas are ripe and just starting to get brown spots on the peel, this is the best time to freeze them. At that time, bananas taste the sweetest. If you want to use bananas in smoothies or bread, it’s best to freeze them whole.
- Each banana needs to be peeled.
- Please put them in a bag or container that can be frozen.
- The date and contents should be written on the container.
- While making a smoothie with bananas, put them in the blender while frozen. If you want to use them to make bread, muffins, or other baked goods, let them thaw completely before adding them to the other ingredients in your recipe.
Is it Important to Peel Bananas?
You can freeze bananas with their peels on, but it will save you time and trouble if you take them off first. When frozen, banana peels turn dark and get soft.
Even though bananas are still safe to eat in this state, the peels are very hard to get off. They won’t be as “fresh” as they would be without the peel, and some say it cuts the storage time by a month. Leaving the peels on your bananas will also make them taste worse.
Banana Slices
- If you don’t know what to do with your bananas, you might want to freeze them. It will make measuring them by the cup easier (or whatever quantity your recipe calls for).
- Each banana needs to be peeled.
- Cut the bananas in half lengthwise to make slices 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch thick.
Spread the banana slices in a single layer on a baking sheet covered with wax paper. - Flash-freeze the slices for about two hours or until they are firm.
- Then, put the frozen slices in a bag or container to go back to the freezer and back in the freezer.
Why Should you Flash-Freeze Bananas?
If you just put your unfrozen banana slices in a freezer container and put it in the freezer, they will freeze together into one big clump that will be hard to break apart later.
Flash-freezing lets you avoid this trouble by freezing the bananas in slices. So, when you need bananas for a recipe. You must reach into the bag and pull out as many. You could also flash-freeze whole bananas to save even more time and trouble.
Conclusion
If you make a lot of smoothies, keep an eye out for bananas on sale at the grocery store. Since they are easy to freeze, buying many of them makes sense when you find a good deal. Bananas will last forever in the freezer, but they should be eaten within six to eight months, and they will get freezer burn over time.
