There is no denying that bananas are one of the healthiest foods you can eat because they have high levels of nutrients such as fiber, protein, and vitamins.
Beyond that, there is a significant point that they can be used as an ingredient in a multitude of delicious drinks, desserts, and other food recipes.
One question which confuses many is whether bananas can be frozen and if so, how, so we are going to answer both those questions, along with some other frequently asked frozen banana questions.
How to Freeze Banana
Whole
Ideally, you should freeze bananas just as they’re about to ripen which you can tell from the small brown spots appearing on the peel.
Remove the peel and place the banana in a freezer bag or other suitable container inside the freezer.
Sliced
This is arguably the best way to freeze a banana. Peel it, and then slice all along the banana to create 1 to 2 inch wide slices. Place these banana pieces on a tray lined with parchment paper, and place this in the freezer.
Mashed
Once you have mashed up your banana you need to scoop it into freezer bags that are resealable.
Before sealing the bag, remove any excess air by squeezing it carefully.
If you plan to use this in future recipes mark each bag with how much banana is in it.
Purée
Pureed banana is frozen in almost the exact same as mashed banana is by using resealable freezer bags.
You probably have to take a bit more care when putting the banana in the bags as pureed fruit will tend to have a consistency closer to liquid.
**How about other fruits? See if you can freeze apples in this guide here!!!**
How to Thaw Frozen Banana
To thaw frozen bananas, remove them from the freezer and sit them in a bowl or similar so any moisture which is released as they thaw is caught.
Alternatively, you can place them in a plastic bag.
Leave the bananas sitting for around two hours, although it could take longer.
Note, you should planning to use the bananas as soon as they are thawed.
A faster way is to place the bananas in a sealed bag and submerge the bag in a bowl of cool water.
The fastest way is to place them in a microwave for 3 or 4 minutes using its defrost setting.
How to Use Frozen Banana
There countless ways in which you can use frozen banana and if you let your imagination go to work you can think of even more.
One point is that all of them will work best if you allow the bananas to thaw properly first.
Starting at a basic level, you can simply add them to your favorite fruit juice or to milk for a delicious banana fruit smoothie or banana milkshake.
Banana bread is a favorite recipe although the list of other cakes that you could bake that have your bananas as an ingredient is very long indeed.
There is also a vast number of desserts that bananas could be added to as well as using them to make banana ice cream.
Other Ways to Store Bananas
If you are not freezing your bananas, the first thing you should know about storing them is to keep them in their bunch, rather than separating them individually.
This will mean that they ripen a bit slower and thus prolong their edible life.
Another way to slow the ripening process, regardless of where you store your bananas, is to wrap the stems of the bunch in cling film.
This will reduce the amount of ethylene gas they release, and the slower this release, the slower the bananas ripen.
A metal banana tree which you hang the bunch on allows air to circulate around the bananas evenly, and also eliminates resting bruises which bananas get when they are in a bowl.
Related Questions
Can you freeze whole unpeeled bananas?
It is perfectly feasible to freeze unpeeled bananas while they are whole, but it is not necessarily the best way to do it.
If you freeze a banana with its peel still on, the peel will tend to darken and become soft.
While the banana will still be perfectly safe to eat, getting the peel off will be extremely difficult.
A better way would be to remove the peel first and then freeze the banana.
Can you freeze ripe bananas for later use?
As with many fruits, you can freeze bananas to be used at a later date and the best time to freeze them is when they are ripe.
You can tell when this is the case when small dark spots start appearing on the banana peel.
You can store them in freezer bags and use them when it’s time to make smoothies or other recipes.
You can also save money by buying cut-price bananas and freezing them.
What is the best way to freeze bananas?
Ideally, you want to use ripe bananas with peels that have brown spots. Peel them, and then cut the bananas into slices of between 1 and 2 inches thickness.
Next, get a tray and line it with a piece of parchment paper or baking sheet.
Lay your banana slices in a single layer neatly on the tray then place the tray into the freezer.
Once they are frozen you can then transfer all your frozen slices to freezer-safe bags.
How do you freeze bananas without them turning brown?
The peel on bananas will turn brown when they are frozen, so this is not the best way to freeze them.
To avoid them going brown you should peel the bananas, slice them into 2-inch slices, and then lay the slices on a tray lined with wax or parchment paper.
You then place the tray into the freezer, and when the banana freezes, it should retain its normal color, rather than turning brown.
Why did my frozen bananas turn brown?
Normally when you freeze a banana with its peel on it will turn brown due to the plant cells within it reacting and thus not allowing the banana to ripen properly.
Another reason may be a phenomenon called freezer burn which occurs due to oxygen molecules seeping into foods whose water molecules are freezing.
Related Readings: Can you freeze avocados? Are the claims really true?
Conclusion
The fact that you can safely and simply freeze bananas for later use gives you so many different options in terms of how you use them when the time comes.
You can defrost your frozen banana for banana smoothies, banana bread, cakes, dessert, and banana ice cream.
You could also simply eat the frozen slices as they are for a tasty and nutritious iced snack, or better still dip them in melted chocolate as a naughty treat.
