Freezing Bananas' title='Freezing Bananas' />How to Quickly Freeze Ripe Bananas. Wild Mushroom Pasta more. Bananas are not the most expensive fruit, in fact, theyre quite cheap. Yet, it seems a shame to let them go to waste when theyre so easy to freeze. When it comes to freezing fruit, bananas are among the easiest to prepare. You will want to freeze either whole or sliced bananas because they can be used in anything from banana bread to smoothies. Next time your bananas begin to turn a little brown, try one of these tricks to freeze them before its too late. How to Freeze a Whole Banana. Bananas are best frozen when they are ripe and the peel is just beginning to get brown spots. Freezing a whole banana is very simple and should take just a few minutes of your time. To Freeze Whole Bananas Peel each banana. Place them into a freezer safe bag or container. Label the container with the date and contents. Allow the bananas to thaw completely before using. Frozen bananas are best suited to cooked or baked dishes. Bananas will keep in the freezer indefinitely, but are best used within 6 8 months. Is It Important to Peel Bananas Save yourself some time, and remove the peels before you freeze your bananas. When frozen, banana peels turn dark and get soft. This makes them very difficult to remove and, while the bananas inside are perfectly safe to eat, the fruit will be mashed by the time youre done. Leaving the peels intact will also diminish the quality of your bananas. They wont be as fresh as they would be without the peel, and some people say it takes a month off the storage time. So, go ahead and remove the peels now. Freezing Bananas' title='Freezing Bananas' />Read the FREEZING BANANAS FOR BANANA BREAD discussion from the Chowhound Home Cooking, Freezing food community. Join the discussion today. This is a guide about freezing bananas. Bananas are best when fresh but can turn brown and mushy quickly. A good way to preserve them is to freeze them for later use. Freezing Bananas, great for babies, banana bread and fruit smoothies. How to Freeze Banana Slices. Whether you are going for baked goods or smoothies, you might want to take the time to add two extra steps to freezing bananas. This process is also quick and painless. By flash freezing slices, rather than whole bananas, you can pull exactly what you need out of the container and place the remainder back into the freezer. This is especially helpful if your family makes smoothies on a regular basis. To Freeze Banana Slices Peel each banana. Cut the bananas crosswise, creating 12 34 inch slices. Lay the banana slices out in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Freeze for about two hours, or until the slices are solid. Transfer the frozen slices into a freezer safe bag or container, and return to the freezer. Label the container with the date and contents. When making smoothies, simply add the frozen banana slices to the blender. For baked goods, thaw the bananas first. Why Should You Flash Freeze BananasIf you place unfrozen banana slices in a freezer container, they will stick together. Quite often, you will end up with a mushy mess. By flash freezing them in a single layer, you can avoid this problem, and each slice can be removed from your banana stash on its own. You can also flash freeze whole bananas to make them easier to remove from storage. Save Money by Freezing Bananas. Keep an eye out for reduced price bananas at the grocery store, especially if you make a lot of smoothies. As easy as they are to freeze, its easy and smart to stock up when you find a good deal. How to Freeze Bananas. Do you have bananas in your refrigerator or on your counter going to waste I know I do sometimes. Admit it. Sometimes its hard to plan for just the right amount of fresh produce to eat between shopping trips. Enough that you dont need to make an extra grocery run, but not so much that it starts going bad before you can get to it. Bananas are the biggest culprit at my house for going bad unexpectedly. One day theyre still a little green, the next thing I know, brown and starting to go mushy. But if you use these tips from MOMables, you should never again have to throw out a brown banana You know you have always wanted to know how to freeze bananas What about tips for every other part of the lunch making processWeve got you covered Join us at MOMables, and you wont be disappointed Method 1 Slice and Freeze. I like this method the most, since it makes my life easier down the line. This works best before the bananas get too mushy. Just slice the banana into chunks into a zip seal baggie. You can use a freezer bag for each banana, or pack each sliced banana into a regular sandwich baggie and put those into a larger freezer bag. I find it easier to use a glass or jar to hold my baggie upright, and I kind of fold the top of the bag over the lip of the cup to keep it there. Then I can just slice the banana right in, without worrying about it plopping off somewhere. This step is optional but highly recommended to reduce freezer burn. Stick a straw as far down into the bag as you can without jamming it up with banana and close up most of the zip seal. Then use the straw to suck as much air as you can from the bag, like a vacuum. Continue to suck as you pull the straw out and seal the last bit of the bag shut. When youre ready to use it, just grab a bag and break apart the slices as best you can before tossing them into your blender or food processor. Method 2 Bag and Freeze. This is a great method for when the bananas start going mushy, and when the peel splits or the stem tears off. Put as many bananas as you need to freeze into a zip seal freezer bag. Use the straw method above to suck the excess air out before sealing. You can add new bananas later, just be sure to suck the air out again. And try to use the older ones first. Method 3 Just Jam Them into the Freezer. This is what I do when I find a banana that needs to be dealt with right away, but I dont have the time to slice and bag it. This only works when the peel is intact. This parts really tricky now just stick the banana any ol place in the freezer. Yup. The peel protects it from freezer burn. For Methods 2 and 3, when youre ready to use the bananas and need them sliced to make it easier on your blender, cut the banana in peel still in half widthwise, then cut each half in half again, lengthwise. The peel comes off fairly easily then, depending how over ripe the banana was when frozen. The further along it gets, the harder it is to get the stringy stuff off. I usually just use my knife to scrape down the sides to remove whatever is left after I get as much peel off as possible. To use in baked goods, you can thaw a whole frozen banana in a bowl, then snip off the stem and squeeze the fruit out into a strainer to let some of the liquid drain. Done No need to mash even I will warn youit looks really gross, and might smell a bit odd too. So only thaw them if you plan to bake right awayUses for frozen bananas Smoothies If you start with frozen fruit, theres no need to dilute your smoothie with ice cubes As long as you dont let it sit out long enough to thaw, you can use a frozen banana in the Chocolate Super Pops and Easy Monkey Ice Cream Sandwiches recipes before freezing them. You dont want to thaw and re freeze any food, unless you cook it in between. Something science y about it changing at a molecular level. Ingredient Peanut Butter Pudding Frozen Yogurt Follow the recipe as is, only with a frozen sliced banana This will give it a thicker, cooler texture. To be eaten right away. Chocolate Banana Bites If you manage to freeze your banana slices so they arent all clumped together, you can change this recipe up just a bit for a delicious treat Lay your frozen slices on a plate or cookie sheet, then drizzle or pour your melted chocolate over the tops. A little messier to eat without the sticks, but still yummyPut them back into the freezer or eat immediately. Baked goods Try them in MOMables Oatmeal Banana Breakfast Muffins, Monkey Chocolate Bars, and Banana Chocolate Chip Donuts Recipes You May Also Like.