Buzz
If you find yourself with more bananas than you can eat before they overripen, freezing them is a better option than throwing them away. Frozen bananas add a delightful richness to smoothies, milkshakes, and baked treats. For smoothies or milkshakes, slice the bananas into rounds, arrange them on a baking sheet, and place them in the freezer. If you plan to use bananas for baking, you can save time by freezing them whole.
Steps
Freezing Sliced Bananas for Smoothies and Milkshakes
Wait for the bananas to ripen before freezing. Ripe bananas will have yellow peels. You can still freeze bananas with a few brown spots, but avoid freezing them if the peels are still green.
Bananas will not continue to ripen once frozen; therefore, freeze bananas at the ripeness level you prefer for smoothies or milkshakes.
Peel the bananas. Avoid freezing bananas with their peels on, as the skins will turn black or become slimy in the freezer. While you can use a knife to remove the peel from frozen bananas, it is much harder than peeling them before freezing.
Slice the bananas into pieces approximately 2.5cm thick. Thicker slices will take longer to freeze, but they save time during preparation, so the choice is yours. The slices do not need to be perfectly uniform.
In addition to slicing, you can also break the bananas into pieces by hand.
Arrange the banana slices in a single layer on a baking tray. Leave a small gap between the slices to prevent them from sticking together during freezing. If freezing a large quantity, you may need multiple trays.
- To make it easier to remove the slices after freezing, you can line the tray with parchment paper; however, removing the bananas from an unlined tray is still manageable.
- The reason for freezing bananas on a baking tray first is to prevent them from clumping together during the freezing process.
Freeze the banana slices for about an hour or until they are solid. Place the tray with the banana slices into the freezer. You may need to rearrange items in the freezer to fit the tray. Check the bananas after an hour. If they are not fully frozen, check again after another half hour.
- You can test if the bananas are frozen by pressing a slice with your finger. If it still feels soft, leave them in the freezer a bit longer.
Transfer the frozen banana slices into a labeled bag. Place the slices into a freezer-safe plastic bag, remove as much air as possible, and seal it. Write the freezing date on the bag to avoid accidentally keeping the bananas frozen for years.
- You can use a spatula to help remove the banana slices from the tray.
Use the frozen bananas for smoothies or milkshakes within 6 months. The next time you want to make a blended drink, grab a few frozen banana slices from the freezer, add them to the blender, and enjoy the process of creating a cold, creamy treat.
If your blender struggles to process the banana slices, you may need to cut them into smaller pieces.
Freezing Bananas for Baking
Wait for the bananas to ripen or overripen. Bananas will not continue to ripen once frozen, so avoid freezing them if they are still underripe. Instead, use bananas with yellow or slightly browned peels. Overripe bananas are very sweet, making them ideal for baking. You can freeze whole bananas if their peels have turned brown.
- If the bananas have become mushy and watery, it’s best to discard them.
Peel the bananas. Do not freeze bananas with their peels on! The peels will turn black and slimy—looking quite unappealing—and you’ll need a knife to remove them once frozen. Someday, you’ll thank yourself for taking the time to peel the bananas before freezing.
- Use the banana peels for composting if you have a compost bin.
Keep the peeled bananas whole or mash them beforehand. You can freeze whole bananas and mash them after thawing. However, if you prefer, you can mash them now. Place the bananas in a bowl and use a fork to mash them until smooth.
- Add a few drops of lemon juice to the mashed bananas if you want to prevent discoloration. However, since you’ll be using them for baking, the color isn’t a major concern.
- If you need to mash a large quantity, a food processor or blender can make the task easier, but bananas are soft enough to mash by hand.
Freeze the bananas in a dated freezer bag. Scoop the mashed bananas or place the whole bananas into the bag. Ensure all air is pressed out before sealing it. Next, use a permanent marker to write the date on the bag so you’ll know how long the bananas have been frozen. Finally, place the bag in the freezer.
The bananas will be fully frozen after a few hours.
Use the bananas for baking within 6 months. Remove the bananas from the freezer about an hour before baking and let them thaw on a plate on the kitchen counter. Discard any unused frozen bananas after 6 months.
- Try making banana bread or banana muffins with the thawed bananas.
- Bananas frozen whole can still be easily mashed with a fork after thawing.
Tips
- Try making frozen banana ice cream for a healthy dessert.
- Dip frozen banana slices in chocolate sauce before freezing for a delicious snack.
What You'll Need
- Ripe bananas
- Knife
- Baking tray
- Parchment paper
- Freezer-safe plastic bags
