Freezing bananas for baking

[MYellowRose]

My friend & I were given a case of bananas today that were probably too speckled to sell. I took 7 bunches and want to freeze most of them for baking and for making smoothies. I'll be either mashing or slicing them before freezing depending on their proposed future use. I'm eating on now and it's delicious! Not a spot or bruise on it except for what's on the skin, better tasting than those that are only half ripe that they sell in the store. Now I need to look up and print out some recipes so I can make some banana walnut bread next week after I buy a bag of walnut pieces.

[MYellowRose]

Went online and found a recipe for banana walnut bread from Starbucks. I checked out several others but like the simplicity of this one the best.

[Dennis G]

Went online and found a recipe for banana walnut bread from Starbucks. I checked out several others but like the simplicity of this one the best.

we freeze bananas all the time... you can use them for smoothies, banana pudding, and other recipes...

Dennis G

[Mom5farmboys]

I usually luck out about once a year and get really ripe bananas from ALDI'S for about 10 cents a bag.

I find the easiest way to freeze them is to peel them, break them in chunks, if they are firm enough for that, and put them in my biggest mixing bowl and take a potato masher to them.

When they are as smashed up as I want them, I then use a 1 cup measuring cup and a canning funnel to put them into a small freezer bag. Just hold the open end of the bag with one hand on the outside of the funnel, dump in one cup and close. squish out so the bag lies flat and then stack on a cookie sheet and freeze. Don't lay them on a grated shelf or you may have trouble getting the bottom bag up when your ready to use it. After they've all frozen solid they stack pretty nice this way.

Not only very little mess, but 3 med bananas are about 1 cup and that way its all premeasured for recipes.

When ready to use, one hint I found that works well and eliminates waste is to cut the bag off the bananas while they are still frozen and let them thaw out in a bowl. That way you can scrape the bowl out with a spatula, if you let them thaw in the bag lots of banana gets left behind in the bag.

[Catalpa]

Wow, that sounds like a lot of work. I freeze bananas all the time, though not in that quantity; if I had a lot maybe I'd do that to save space. Usually what happens is the fresh ones from the store don't all get eaten before they're too spotted, so I just throw them in the freezer just the way they are, skins and all. When it's time to make banana cake or bread, I just set them in a bowl on the counter to thaw, then pull an end of the peel off and strip the banana out like toothpaste from the tube . My banana cake recipe gets a wonderful flavor and color from using brown, squishy bananas.

[Mom5farmboys]

Wow, that sounds like a lot of work. I freeze bananas all the time, though not in that quantity; if I had a lot maybe I'd do that to save space. Usually what happens is the fresh ones from the store don't all get eaten before they're too spotted, so I just throw them in the freezer just the way they are, skins and all. When it's time to make banana cake or bread, I just set them in a bowl on the counter to thaw, then pull an end of the peel off and strip the banana out like toothpaste from the tube . My banana cake recipe gets a wonderful flavor and color from using brown, squishy bananas.

Its not as much work as it sounds like, especially once you get going. The last time I got bananas at Aldis for 10 cents a bag they had quite a few and I ended up buying 4 banana boxes full! I think I spent between $4 or $5. I ended up with a milk crate full and another plastic storage basket (all in the freezer) so yes there was quantity! We use them in breads, smoothies, and oatmeal.

[crunchycon]

I just throw 'em in a ziplock when they're overripe as is. When I need them, I pull out of the freezer, thaw, and squeeze the gushy banana into the bowl and mix. Most banana recipes will translate the amount needed into numbers of bananas. Easy-peasy.

[MYellowRose]

I'd love to just toss them whole into the freezer but I don't have that much room as all I've got is the one on top of the fridge. I'll be working on them tonight, should have done it Wednesday but didn't. Don't think I brought the potato masher when I moved as I never used it but I'll hunt to see if it's here as that will be much quicker than using a fork as I had planned.

[MYellowRose]

Bought a bag of walnut pieces today so I can make a loaf of the bread tomorrow if I remember. LOL!

[momma_to_seven_chi]

I love frozen bananas. I usually just peel them, stick three in a baggie whole, and freeze. When they thaw, I mash up the baggie with my hands until they make a banana paste, then use for whatever. And if you leave them whole, you can just eat them like a popcicle.