Almost every
week a new bunch of bananas makes its way into our home, to be used mostly for
eating fresh and for making smoothies.
Bananas
would be our biggest food waste item (on average, about 2-3 bananas a week) as
they often go bad before we have eaten them all.
Wasting
food is not good for our environment or our pocket, so we are looking at how we
can change things for the better.
One idea
was to slow down how fast they ripened, and we heard this could be done by
wrapping the crown (the stem end) in tinfoil or plastic food wrap. Has anyone tried this?
Another idea
was to keep them in the fridge, but I know that doing that will prevent them
from ever ripening. We normally allow
our bananas to ripen in the fruit bowl and then transfer them to the fridge.
(What to
store them in, in the fridge, is another problem – any ideas anyone?)
A third idea
we thought of was to freeze the bananas once they were ripe, but I tried this
once and the skins were almost impossible to remove so have not bothered again.
Perhaps I really
just need to do more cooking – banana cake and chocolate banana muffins would
soon disappear!
Have a
great day 😊
Margaret.
You can't just buy less bananas?
ReplyDeleteLOL we tried that option - and ran out of bananas!
DeleteI have frozen them and the skins came off easily. Great for smoothies. I’ve used the plastic wrap as you suggested and it keeps them a bit longer.
ReplyDeleteYou can freeze them after they are peeled, then they can be used in whatever amount you need.
ReplyDeleteI always separate the bananas as I think they ripen faster when all together in a bunch.
ReplyDeletePeel them and then mash them up and freeze them:) My Dad loves over ripe ones so he always got them at our house. I have tried the aluminum foil I did not notice a difference:)
ReplyDeleteYou can peel them, brush them with lemon juice, then wrap in clingwrap and freeze. If they aren't too ripe, take them out of the freezer and dip them into melted chocolate for a really indulgent frozen treat! Just eat them like a banana iceblock.
ReplyDeleteLinda
I'd always heard NOT to store bananas in the fridge but now I do. Once they're in danger of being too ripe I stick them in the fridge and they stay fairly edible for days. I've also heard that if you start to peel a banana from the bottom end they peel better. DH thinks that's ridiculous but I'm peeling my bananas that way and they really do seem to peel easier.
ReplyDeleteYou can freeze them out of their skin. Free flow them for adding to smoothies, cakes etc. You can also get the skin off by microwaving for a short time or popping in hot water. You can also literally peel the skin off (like peeling a potato but with a knife). I always freeze bananas and never throw them out.
ReplyDeleteI have frozen them once peeled and they can be used in smoothies. Also wrapping the whole banana in foil and then placing in the refrigerator works for me. They keep at least a week.
ReplyDeleteMargaret, if freezing them skin them first. Some people insist in wrapping them individually in cling film. I just freeze them on a tray and bag them. Thawed they are awful for anything but cooking. I use them with rhubarb instead of suger. If freezing them for rhubarb crumbles, I slice them before I freeze them and chuck them in the fruit mix frozen. By the time everyghing is cooked they are mush anyway. (Same would work for sweetening any fruit crumble/pie.) I don't know how you make your smootbies but the frozen slices might whizz up from frozen. Once you get the idea and taste for using them as a sugar substitute there will no stopping your imagination.
ReplyDeleteBananas make good ice-cream: 300ml whipped cream, 3 or 4 mashed very ripe bananas, a 1/4 c castor sugar, fold it all together and freeze. No ice-cream maker required.
We also dry them but i do have a dehydrator which makes the job an easy and energy efficient one.
Instead of ripening them in the bowl, fridge first and ripen a couple each day. Refrigeration after ripening makes them go black very quickly.
I only use frozen bananas when making smoothies.....they make the smoothies so much thicker and creamier than if used fresh. I remove the skin and cut up the banana into little slices and freeze in a large zip lock bag. Just take out handful as needed.
ReplyDeleteI freeze mine in there skin and make a banana cake with them they are ok have never had a problem
ReplyDeletewe are lucky having shops in walking distance from our home, so we only ever buy small amounts of fruit on each visit.
ReplyDeleteI buy really firm fruit, then I separate them when I get them home... and they can generally last the distance before they get too ripe. If they are getting over ripe I will throw them in the veggie compartment of the fridge. Hope this helps
ReplyDeleteStay safe
Blessings
Maxine
If you put bananas in the fridge make sure they have started to ripen. This will give you a few extra days. If they are still green when they go in the fridge they will not ripen at all. Bananas also give of something (I can't recall what) which makes them and other fruits ripen much more quickly. That's the science. I can't get them to make my plums soft and edible though.
ReplyDeleteAnd just today I used a more than brown banana for a smoothie. And was surprised the inside was totally normal, not brownish at all!
ReplyDeleteI peel and slice them before freezing, still good for smoothies.
You'll just have to bake more 😁 banana cake is a favourite of mine. So moist and fragrant
ReplyDeleteWe only buy 4 or 5 and still have one get over ripe so this has been interesting reading for me.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteThe smoothies and banana cake or bread sound yummy. Take care, enjoy your day! Wishing you a happy new week!
Thank you for the idea of.... Place ripened bananas in refrigerator!!!!!
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE FOR ALL YOUR VERY USEFUL COMMENTS (AND DELICIOUS HINTS). WE HAVE NO EXCUSE NOW TO EVER THROW A RIPE BANANA AWAY :)
ReplyDeleteMargaret XX
We have a lot of bananas here in India. I buy them a dozen or more at a time, and once they turn yellow - that is, they begin to ripen - I separate each one and wrap it up in paper. Then store all the paper-wrapped bananas in an air-tight (lock n lock) box which is again lined with paper to absorb any moisture. My bananas last over a week, even 10 days. And they remain fresh and yellow on the outside. Bring the bananas out of the fridge a half hour before eating so they get back to room temperature. Taste as good as freshly bought bananas. Hope this helps.
ReplyDeleteThank you for that idea Asha. I'm sorry you had so much trouble publishing your comment.
DeleteI take mine out of their skins before I freeze them. They do turn dark and get mushy but are great for cooking. I use them to make banana bread.
ReplyDelete