It takes only 60-90 minutes to freeze bananas in bulk. Peeled banana pieces can be stored in the freezer for 3 months.
Freezing is the easiest way to store bananas
Bananas produce ethylene gas from their stems. This gas can speed up the ripening process of a banana. Ethylene gas can spoil nearby fruits as well. For this reason, banana producers put a plastic wrap around the stem of the bunch.
You should do this too. Whenever you remove a banana from the bunch, you should put the plastic wrap back. In other case, all the nearby fruits and vegetables will get spoiled much faster.
There is a better solution to store bananas, if you buy them in bulk, though. Freeze them.
Can you freeze a banana?
Bananas can stay in the freezer for a much longer time than at room temperature. Low temperatures slow down the chemical reactions, which ripen the banana. Also, they prevent the production of ethylene gas.
If you properly store them, bananas can be stored in the freezer up to 3 months. Frozen banana for more than 3 months are still edible. However, they may lose their flavor.
You have to follow 2 simple rules when freezing bananas:
- Keep bananas constantly frozen. You shouldn’t put unfrozen bananas back in the freezer
- Use new airtight food containers. Otherwise, bananas will absorb smells
How long does it take to freeze a banana?
It takes about 60-90 minutes to freeze a banana. Freezing bananas is easy. Just peel them, cut them into pieces and put them on a baking sheet, without touching each other.
If you freeze bananas with the skin, it turns dark and soft. Although, banana remains edible, it may impact its overall quality, texture, or flavor.
Most noteworthy, if you peel the banana before freezing, you won’t have to do it later. It’s more difficult and time-consuming to remove the skin from a frozen banana.
Furthermore, you shouldn’t put peeled banana pieces all at once in a food container or bag before freezing them. Once frozen, they turn into a large mass. You’ll have to wait a minute or two, just to unstick them. This process diminishes the quality of the frozen banana.
So, better cut bananas into pieces. Put them piece by piece on a tray. Only then you can freeze them. After that, you can pack frozen banana pieces in airtight containers or freezer bags.
Frozen bananas are great for your favorite banana smoothie. There is no need to add ice cubes!
