Ever buy a few too many bananas? Then find yourself throwing them out once they’ve got brown and soft? Don’t waste them….freeze them!
Can You Freeze Bananas?
Yes, you can freeze bananas for up to 6 months. You’ll always want to peel bananas before freezing, simply to save time in the future. Once peeled, you can either freeze them whole or slice them up into rings. (Full Instructions Below – Sliced, Mashed, Whole)
Do Do Bananas freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Bananas? Yes
How to Freeze Bananas
Before we get onto the method, it’s worth noting that when you are freezing anything, you stop it from ripening or deteriorating. Freezing won’t improve the quality of a banana.
Below we have outlined two methods for freezing bananas. One is for convenience, and the other is a far more efficient way to freeze them:
How to Freeze Bananas Whole
If time is limited and you want to get your bananas frozen then go with this approach:
- Peel and Bag: Once you’ve got your bananas and peeled them place them in a ziplock bag. Don’t cram them into the bag as you don’t want to damage the bananas.
- Seal: Squeeze as much of the air out of the bag as possible while sealing it. As you seal the bag out, push the air out of the top. Once there is little air left in the bag, seal it up all the way.
- Freeze: Place the bag in the freezer, and you’re all done.
That really is all there is to freezing them whole. But it might not be the best approach.
How to Freeze Banana Slices
Bananas slices make it far easier to grab as little or as much as you need. It’s straightforward when following a recipe that calls for a given weight of banana. This method does, however, contain a few more steps:
- Slice: Slice your banana up into slices. It really doesn’t matter what size you do but try and get them all uniform.
- Place on a Baking Tray: Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and then lay your banana slices out in one layer. Try and avoid having contact between each of the slices.
- Flash Freeze: Freeze for 2 hours or so until the slices are solid on the outside – this is just the flash freeze stage.
- Bag and Freeze: Remove the tray from the freezer then remove the slices. Place the slices in a ziplock bag and return to the freezer.
If you’re freezing a lot of bananas, you may need to do this in gradual stages.
4 Tips for Freezing Bananas
Now you know how to freeze them, we’ve got our 4 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing bananas to have the best results:
Always Peel
Chances are, you’re not going to need the banana peel. Trying to peel a frozen banana is always going to be a challenge. Instead, freeze your bananas without the peel to make life that little bit easier in the future.
Use Perfect Ripe Bananas
Freezing anything won’t help it to ripe or improve it. That’s why it’s vital that you choose the best bananas you can to freeze so that they’re ready to use.
Make Healthy Banana Lollies & Popsicles
If you want an easy, healthy snack for kids, then banana ice lollies are the way to go. Stick an ice lolly stick in the end and freeze. You’ll have instant lollies that are packed full of goodness. You can also make a banana puree and freeze this too!
Use Direct from the Freezer for Smoothies
If you plan on using your frozen bananas in a smoothie, then there’s no need to thaw them beforehand. Instead, toss a handful into the blender with your other ingredients and it’ll help keep your smoothie chilled.
How Long Can You Freeze Bananas?
Technically speaking, you could leave your bananas in the freezer for as long as you want. The problem, of course, is that they will end up getting freezer burn. That’s why we would recommend ensuring you consume them within 6 months.
As we always do, we would recommend labelling your frozen bananas with the date on which they need to be consumed.
How Do You Defrost Bananas?
If you plan on using your banana in a smoothie, then take it from the freezer and throw it straight into the blender without thawing. The frozen banana will keep your smoothie nice and cool so you won’t need to use ice.
If you want to use your frozen bananas in cakes or bread, you will need to thaw it beforehand. Thankfully, this doesn’t take too long. Just place in a bowl on the worktop and allow to thaw at room temperature.
If you plan ahead, you can also thaw in the fridge. Place in a bowl again and leave it there overnight.
Can You Refreeze Bananas?
Refreezing bananas is not something we would recommend. Frozen bananas will already lose some of their texture. Refreezing them can cause them to become even mushier than before. The texture will be completely off.
If you have used frozen bananas in a baked dish such as banana bread, then this is perfectly safe to refreeze.
Do Bananas Freeze Well?
If you enjoy eating a banana straight from the fruit bowl, then freezing would not be the approach for you. Unfortunately, they do lose some of their original texture and won’t be that pleasant after freezing.
However, if you want to use bananas in a cake or bread recipe or even like the flavour in a smoothie, then freezing them is a great way to store them for the long term.
FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing bananas or bananas in general, then these may help:
Yes, you can freeze green bananas but it’s worth noting that bananas will not ripen in the freezer. Therefore, if you freeze green bananas you’ll need to defrost them and then allow them to ripen further.
Yes, it’s possible to freezer overripe bananas but doing so will not improve their slightly mushy texture. Instead, you’d be better turning overripe bananas into bread, cake or puree.
Freezing banana puree is possible and super simple. Just tip your puree into the slots of an ice cube tray and wrap the tray in cling film. Once frozen, you can pop the cubes out and store them in a bag to save room and free up the use of the ice cube tray.
No, it does not. You will find that the texture of the bananas is completely off but the taste will remain. This means frozen bananas will still work perfectly in cakes, bakes and smoothies.
Fully ripe bananas will last for around 1 week in the fridge. Of course, if they’re a little under-ripe when you buy them, then they will last for a few extra days.
