Freezing bananas?

[ellakav]

can you freeze bananas? I have some that are going to be close
to overripe tomorrow and want to make bread from them.
however, I can't get to it until probably Friday. funds are
tight and I hate to waste them. any suggestions?

 

[Katie H]

I've frozen bananas many times. I've frozen them still in their skins, which is okay but I've found that if I remove the skins and mash them into a container (like Tupperware) they're easier to deal with when thawed out.

I usually put three bananas to a container. This seems to be what I need for my banana-nut bread. One of the things I discovered is that the bananas seem to produce a sweeter, moister bread after they've been froze.

Now, when they thaw out, they will seem watery. I don't drain them. I just stir them up and dump them into whatever recipe I'm using them for.

I regularly take advantage of the $1.00/bag sales in the grocery store and freeze them.

 

[Zereh]

I pop whole, peeled bananas into a freezer bag to use in smoothies. I don't use ice just frozen fruit (raspberries, blueberries, mango, pineapple are all great, along with the banana), a splash of fruit juice, protein powder and maybe a dash of honey, depending on the sweetness of what I threw into the blender.

I just don't like banana bread. I know, I know, I'm weird ... But I'm sure that mushed up bananas for bread, muffins, waffles would work as well as the whole ones I freeze.

 

[CaCountryGirl]

I, too have frozen bananas & I agree with the messages above. They are a bit sweeter & yes they are a bit watery but, all is fine. Happy banana freezing

 

[jennyema]

Absolutely. But they're only good for cooking or smoothies and such, as they'll be mushy when thawed.

 

[mcnerd]

I freeze and eat them like Popsicles. Some people will roll them in small nuts before freezing for a little extra treat. Doing it with very ripe ones works better since it has turned to sugar more.

 

[TheNoodleIncident]

the reason the banana's seem watery is because freezing creates ice crystals, which penetrate the cells of the banana, releasing moisture....thats why freezing is ok if you plan on mushing them up anyway (baking, making banana ice cream, smoothies, etc)....the texture will be off if you plan on eating them whole after freezing

btw, the same principle applies to meats....thats why frozen steak or chicken may not be as juicy after frozen - all the juice, which is no longer contained in the cells, just runs out while cooking