A frozen banana is a great way to cool down on a hot summer day. It is also an excellent food for eating when you are hungry, or as a quick snack to keep your energy up throughout the day. Like most other food, frozen bananas go bad after some time. However, there are many ways to use them before they go bad and you can enjoy them without any problem.
After reading this article, knowing how long it takes for a frozen banana to go bad and how long it lasts in your freezer.
Do Frozen Bananas Go Bad?
Yes, frozen bananas do go bad.
Frozen bananas that are stored properly and kept at a constant temperature of 0°F (-17.8 °C) or lower will last indefinitely.
However, once the bananas reach the 3-month mark, the fruit will start to deteriorate in quality. This is something that affects all frozen food.
The longer it’s in the freezer, the higher the chance that air will leak in and cause freezer burn.
When frozen bananas go bad, it is usually due to them being stored in the freezer for a prolonged period of time or left to thaw for too long.
What is the Best Way to Store Frozen Bananas?
When it comes to storing bananas in the freezer, you have two options. You can either freeze the banana in the peel or peel and slice them.
In the Peel
Freezing bananas in the peel are fine, but it’s best if you’re going to use them for baking.
The peel is thick enough to provide a good barrier to keep the banana from being affected by the air.
For baking, you will probably need a whole banana, not just half of it. So it makes sense to freeze the whole fruit.
Peeled and Sliced
Another option is to peel the banana and slice it. This is a great way if you’re planning to use a small amount of banana for a recipe such as making smoothies or desserts.
After the banana is sliced, place them into a freezer bag. It’s a good idea to portion the banana. For a recipe that calls for a small amount of bananas, place a couple of pieces of banana in the freezer bag.
For larger meals, you can freeze a lot of bananas. Doing so will help prevent having to refreeze any leftovers.
After the bananas are in the freezer bag, press on them to remove any excess air before sealing it.
When to Freeze Bananas
You can freeze bananas that are ripe or overripe. This will depend on what you’ll be using them for.
Ripe Bananas
When the banana is ripe, they will turn to a yellowish color. If it’s still green, give it a couple of more days to ripe before freezing it.
If it has not ripe yet, freezing the banana isn’t recommended. The banana will continue to ripe, but it will not become sweeter.
When you that the banana, it will not have a sweet flavor.
Over-ripe Bananas
For most recipes, especially baking, it’s a good idea to let the bananas overripe first.
The browner the banana is, the more the sweeter the flavor will be. Since most baking goods, smoothies, and other food that require the flavor to be sweet, letting the banana overripe before freezing it is the best option.
Uses for Frozen Bananas
Smoothies and Milkshakes
Frozen bananas can be used to create smoothies and other desserts.
There are many benefits to adding frozen bananas into your smoothie because it makes the drink very creamy and frothy, making you feel like you’re drinking a milkshake. There is a misconception that the enzymes in bananas break down when they are frozen but this isn’t true. The cold temperature of the freezer actually preserves them so your banana stays fresh.
Baking
Use frozen bananas in place of eggs and butter in your baking recipes. Frozen bananas are an excellent substitute for eggs since they are very similar in texture and consistency. Frozen bananas can be used instead of eggs in almost all baking applications. The tricks lie in the temperature at which the banana is frozen, as well as the ripeness of the banana.
Banana Pudding
Banana pudding is a southern dessert made of bananas, vanilla wafers, sugar, milk/cream, and usually egg. This recipe has been around for more than 100 years. Frozen bananas are used instead of regular bananas for the creamy texture that defines the dessert.
Banana Ice Cream
Frozen bananas are great for making healthy ice cream. A banana, which is mostly water, freezes at a lower temperature than most foods do. When frozen bananas are blended in the food processor, they make an excellent creamy base for homemade ice cream.
Conclusion
Frozen bananas will eventually go bad if they are left in the freezer for longer than 3 months. However, the bananas will still be safe to eat, but you may not enjoy the taste and texture of it.