Can You Freeze Bananas?
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You can save a lot of money by purchasing bananas on sale and learning how to freeze bananas. You can also cut down on waste if they are ripe and you aren’t ready to eat them. Knowing what to freeze and how to freeze them is a great beginning cooking skill to master.
You can freeze bananas at home. Frozen bananas make an amazing snack and can be used for all of your favorite banana recipes. Frozen bananas make an amazing snack just as they are, and freezing them allows you to save money by buying them in bulk when they are on sale.
For more freezer ideas, check these out:
- Make-Ahead Freezer Meals
- Can You Freeze Cream Cheese?
- Can You Freeze Avocados
- Can You Freeze Strawberries?
How to freeze bananas without turning brown
Freezing bananas is very easy, but don’t leave the peel on your bananas when freezing or try to use a banana that has been frozen in the peel unless you’re only using them for banana bread.
Start by peeling and slicing your bananas. Bananas freeze very well in thick slices that are perfect for making smoothies, eating as a snack, or dipping into chocolate.
Sliced bananas can be lined up on cookie sheets that have been lined in parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet. Lining your cookie sheets helps to save time and energy trying to remove your frozen bananas from the tray after they have stuck to it.
Slice your bananas into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick slices. To make slicing really easy you can opt to use a mandoline slicer or even a special banana slicer. If you don’t have any of those at your disposal, you can use a simple butter knife instead. If you want you can slice your bananas in half and then chop or even freeze your halved bananas into 1-3 inch long slices depending on how you like to use your sliced bananas when they are fresh.
Freeze the bananas for about 4 hours. After freezing, move your bananas to an air-tight container for use in everything from smoothies or nice cream to snacking as is.
You can store these in larger freezer bags to make them easy to grab, a freezer storage container with a slide, vacuum seal or use smaller freezer bags for grab-and-go packs for individual snacking. Frozen bananas are also a great and healthy snack for teething babies to help soothe their gums.
Whole bananas can be frozen to make the most of your space and allow you to make larger snacks or simply save time seeing frozen bananas can be cut later. To freeze whole bananas, peel and place them into an airtight container or flash freeze them like with sliced bananas to make it easier to keep them from sticking together.
Can you freeze banana puree
Freezing banana puree is the easiest way to freeze bananas that will be used for things like banana bread. This allows you to store them flat to save space in your freezer. To do this simply mash your bananas like you would use for baking and freeze them in the portions you will be using when you are baking. This can be done in a Ziplock freezer bag or for the best results sealed with a vacuum sealer.
For ways to use banana puree, check these out:
How long do frozen bananas last
Bananas freeze really well and can be stored for 3-4 months in a normal freezer or 6 to 9 months in a deep freezer when vacuum sealed. This will keep them from becoming freezer burned and keep them fresh and sweet until you are ready to use them. You should also label the dates on the packages with the freeze date.
Because bananas tend to thaw very easily, if you are using an upright freezer you should store them near the back where they will not be affected by major temperature changes with every opening of the freezer.
Frozen bananas can be used for everyday things like smoothies right from the freezer, eliminating the need to thaw them. They make a great sweet healthy snack.
Frozen bananas can be used for any recipe you use fresh bananas in and frozen banana slices make a great addition to cereal and milk for an easy breakfast. Store banana slices in an airtight container so that you can grab what you need out to use for these applications.
To thaw your bananas for things like baking you will need to place them in your refrigerator overnight or move your bananas on the counter to thaw within a few hours. Keep your bananas in airtight containers to ensure that they do not leak all over your counter or refrigerator.
How to peel a frozen banana
What if you freeze bananas with the peels on? This can be done. The bananas will get slimier and turn brown, but they still make great banana bread and this can be done when you’re in a time crunch. Just toss them in the freezer whole, even in a bunch. Once they are frozen solid, you can place them in a zip lock bag for longer-term storage.
But we’ve all been up against a banana that’s about to get too ripe and we don’t have time to do anything, so this trick works in a pinch.
So how do you use a frozen banana in the peel? Set a glass of warm water in the sink and set a frozen unpeeled banana down in there for about 10-30 minutes. Pull off the end of the peel and squeeze the banana goo out into your mixing bowl, and voila, mash it a bit and your banana bread is started. It’s super easy and works when you just don’t have time to peel bananas before freezing.
For more beginning cooking skills, check these out:
- How to Cook Potatoes for Beginners
- Learning to Cook the Basics for Beginners
- How to Cook Eggs for Beginners
- Grain Based Breakfast Recipes for Beginners
- How to Cook 1 Pork Roast to Make 5 Meals
- Leftover Chicken: How to Cook a Whole Chicken to Make 3 Meals
- How to Cook a Chicken, Turkey, or Duck
- 10 Easy Bulk Freezer Meals
