How do you properly freeze bananas

[justintime]

I read somewhere that if you have bananas that are going to go bad, that you can freeze them and use them later in banana bread, banana muffins, etc. Do you freeze them with their peel on? Do you peel them first, then freeze them? Do you notice any difference with your muffins, etc when you use the frozen bananas? I have a lot of bananas that are on their way out and would hate to throw them out, but I won't have much time in the next few days to use all of them.

 

[hmdavid]

I am interested in this, too. I mashed and froze some one time and they didn't look the best when I thawed them.

 

[Disneyrsh]

.

 

[SDSorority]

I don't puree them first. I just cut them into small chunks, put them on a plate or baking sheet, and freeze. Then you can transfer them to a plastic bag if you want (I leave mine on the plate). Then if you want to puree them, just throw them in the food processor. Or just throw them as-is in smoothies.

 

[Psychodisney]

I've peeled them, sliced them and put them in a freezer bag. I've used them in smoothies but never tried to bake with them.

 

[HLDisney]

I peel them and then toss them in a ziploc bag for freezing. I haven't noticed any difference in taste in using those frozen bananas for making banana bread (but then I don't have very picky taste buds)

Helen

 

[Swimalie]

As a kid, I've peeled them and frozen them for a day in plastic wrap. They taste like banana flavored ice cream But I never tried to cook with them. I noticed if they were still whole, they didn't keep in the freezer for more than 2 days.

 

[Soben]

Too much work--chuck the whole, unpeeled banana into the freezer. It will turn black, do not be alarmed. When you're ready to bake, take it out, defrost it in the fridge or counter. Snip off the top of the banana, it will have the texture of a pureed banana, you squeeze it out like a tube. It works great, I actually prefer the frozen ones for bread/muffins, it mixes great and has a deeper banana flavor.

 

[tinkarooni]

I think that everybody is right. It depends what you want to do with them. For s frozen treat I unpeel the banana cut in half and freeze. Than we eat frozen like an icee. Yumm. Than for baking I also freeze them whole, peel on, just chuck the whole thing in the freezer. Than I also cut the end off and squeeze out the puree, voila, don't even have to mash. Perfect for bread and muffins. They dp get black, it doesn't matter, they taste fine.

 

[wdwfan16]

You can freeze them with or without the peel. If you freeze with the peel you can just let them thaw, cut off the end and extrude them. I prefer to peel first.

Freezing breaks down the fiber in the bananas. I prefer frozen in muffins/bread over fresh.

 

[Sinderelly]

Dip them in chocolate first

 

[SalandJeff]

I just take them off the counter and toss them in the freezer as is. They are great for baking this way, and no extra work.

 

[apnep]

Dip them in chocolate first

That's what I'm talkin' about!

Ang

 

[lovesmurfs]

I just take them off the counter and toss them in the freezer as is. They are great for baking this way, and no extra work.

That's what I do. I think the flavor is much better than fresh banana, stronger.

 

[DisnyMama]

I love smoothies but the bananas never last on the counter so I peel them, cut the whole banana into 4 sections throw them into a ziploc bag and into the freezer. They will turn a little darker and not look all that apetizing but it's easy to take out a couple sections for a smoothie and they puree purfectly and taste fantastic.

 

[camlace]

Too much work--chuck the whole, unpeeled banana into the freezer. It will turn black, do not be alarmed. When you're ready to bake, take it out, defrost it in the fridge or counter. Snip off the top of the banana, it will have the texture of a pureed banana, you squeeze it out like a tube. It works great, I actually prefer the frozen ones for bread/muffins, it mixes great and has a deeper banana flavor.

agreed! chuck the whole thing in the freezer no prep required.

 

[pk1959]

I have frozen them both ways, peeled and unpeeled and they work fine for baking. I was wondering what they would be like if they were peeled, then vacuum sealed? Do they still turn black? Anyone ever tried it?

 

[luvmy3]

I do what Alton Brown does, just put them in the freezer. If you want them to last a bit longer, you can put them in the fridge when they reach the right ripeness. The peels will turn brown but the fruit inside will stop ripening.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

I freeze them whole with the skins on -- they will turn black. When you want to bake banana bread, just peel them and throw them in the mixer with your other ingredients. Perfect every time.

 

[2littleprincesses]

Too much work--chuck the whole, unpeeled banana into the freezer. It will turn black, do not be alarmed. When you're ready to bake, take it out, defrost it in the fridge or counter. Snip off the top of the banana, it will have the texture of a pureed banana, you squeeze it out like a tube. It works great, I actually prefer the frozen ones for bread/muffins, it mixes great and has a deeper banana flavor.

Ditto!