Frozen bananas: how and why to freeze bananas in the freezer

AnyutaN — Oct 17th, 2021 Categories: Freezing

Tags: Fruit freezing

Are bananas frozen? This question may seem strange to you, because you can buy this fruit at any time of the year at an affordable price. But bananas can indeed be frozen, and in some cases it is even necessary. Today I will tell you about how and why bananas are frozen in the freezer.

Ingredients: banana, lemon juice Time to add: All year

Is it possible to freeze bananas?

Green fruit does not have a pleasant taste or aroma. But it is in this form that it is collected and imported to other countries. Bananas gradually ripen, sometimes with human help. As soon as the skin turns yellow, the countdown begins. The shelf life is sharply reduced. Sometimes this happens in a store, often at home.

Housewives are wondering if bananas can be frozen. In fact, this is one of the best ways to preserve the product without throwing away money. In addition, you will always have a convenient semi-finished product on hand, suitable for a number of different dishes and baked goods. We'll talk about this below.

Do you cook with frozen bananas?

Not really

Bananas frozen in the freezer are used for ice cream, smoothies, baking, and cocktails. They are placed in the chamber whole, in pieces, it is allowed to prepare puree.

The benefits and harms of frozen bananas

A ripe banana contains vitamins A, E, C, H, K, PP, B. The product is rich in macroelements - potassium, magnesium, sodium, sulfur, phosphorus. There are trace elements - iron, manganese, fluorine, chromium, zinc and a dozen other important substances. Properly frozen fruit retains up to 85-90% of its valuable composition.

Useful properties of frozen banana:

• normalizes intestinal function;
• evens out heart rate;
• reduces cholesterol;
• gives energy, increases brain activity;

• promotes iron absorption;
• has a positive effect on bones and teeth;
• natural source of antioxidants.

The calorie content of banana is quite high. Per 100 g about 96 kcal. For this reason, it is not recommended to abuse it for people who are overweight. The product will also cause harm to people with diabetes. But it is well tolerated by children and pregnant women, and rarely causes allergies.

Selection and preparation of fruit

Spoiled fruits are often sent to the freezer. We do not recommend doing this. Frozen, darkened pieces do not look good in dishes and have a strange color. It is better to immediately determine the surplus. We choose dense, strong, but ripe fruits.

Preparation instructions:

1. We rinse. Banana peels collect a huge number of microbes. Plus, manufacturers often treat them with special preservatives that increase shelf life.
2. Cleaning it up. Frozen bananas with the peel are worse, but this method also has a right to exist.
3. Let's cut it. Many dishes require frozen pieces. The entire preparation does not make sense.

An important point - you need to freeze immediately. Otherwise, the pieces will quickly darken and lose their attractive appearance. We do not recommend cutting in advance. We pre-prepare the necessary packaging.

Lemon juice will help keep the banana slices light in color. Simply drizzle over the sliced ​​product before freezing.

What methods of freezing bananas have we tried?

Each of these methods was tested on a small bunch of bananas. All 5 bunches were purchased in the same store on the same day. After preliminary preparation, all 5 “servings” were frozen at the same time in a large upright freezer. After completely freezing for 24 hours, some bananas were added to a simple smoothie and others were thawed to make quick cookies.

Neither method altered the taste of the banana, but cooking time, ease of storage, and mixing or thawing time helped determine the winner.

→ TOP 5 ways to keep bananas fresh longer

How to freeze bananas

Housewives are looking in reviews to see if bananas can be frozen in the freezer of a regular refrigerator. In fact, absolutely any camera is suitable. An important condition is that the temperature is not higher than -15 degrees. The best products are obtained with the fast freezing function. The faster the pieces ice and harden, the more beneficial properties will be preserved. Therefore, it is important to immediately take care of packaging in small portions. This will make it convenient to freeze any vegetables and fruits.

Suitable Packing:

• dense polyethylene;
• special packages;
• containers;
• Silicone forms.

Not suitable:

• cling film;
• foil;
• parchment, paper.

With peel

You can send it to the camera with the peel. Only a frozen product has a lot of disadvantages. The skin does not separate well, you will have to let the banana thaw before using it, this is not always necessary.

Freezing and storing bananas

Freezing Instructions:

1. Wipe the washed banana on top with a napkin.
2. We place them in individual bags. Wrap the free end tightly. It is advisable to release all the air.
3. Place in the freezer.

You can freeze two or three pieces at a time. Sometimes cling film is used instead of bags. In this case, you need to wrap it at least three times.

Without peel

A pressing question is whether it is possible to freeze bananas without the peel, but whole. This is another quick way. More convenient than the previous option, no need to peel off the skin. But before use you will have to defrost completely or partially. Otherwise, cutting and grinding with a blender will not work.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Carefully remove the peel, maintaining integrity.
2. Place a few pieces into freezer bags.
3. Close it tightly and send it to the chamber.

We try to lay them tightly together to minimize the air gap. The ideal option is a vacuum bag with a special air pumping device.

Freezing sliced ​​bananas

The previous methods are impressive in their simplicity. Just not convenience. Pieces are most often used for dishes. If you spend a little more time, you will get an excellent semi-finished product for ice cream, smoothies, and baked goods.

Preparation instructions:

1. Slice the peeled bananas crosswise. We're not being petty. The thickness of the pieces is 2-3 cm.
2. Wrap a flat plate with film. Lay out in one layer.
3. We put it in the camera. Let stand for 3-4 hours.
4. We collect the frozen pieces in a bag or pour them into a container. Let's close.
5. Return to store in the freezer.

Convenience of double freezing - the pieces do not stick together. It’s easy to get the right amount at any time. It is only important to quickly transfer from the tray to the packaging, without allowing it to thaw.

Freezing puree

The advantage of this type of preparation is that it saves space in the freezer. The product is almost ready to use. It is puree that is often used for baking and ice cream.

Preparation instructions:

1. Peel the bananas, break them, put them in a blender. Puree.
2. Or put it in a bowl, knead it with a fork and pestle.
3. Place in silicone molds. Containers will also work. In the second case, close it immediately.
4. We send it to freeze. Turn on the minimum temperature.
5. When using silicone molds, after 5 hours, remove the banana ice cubes and put them in a bag.

You can freeze banana puree in ice cube trays. You will get delicious cubes for lemonade, juices, and various cocktails. You can immediately add lemon juice to taste. Banana cubes with a strawberry or raspberry inside look interesting.

How to defrost correctly

For frozen homemade bananas, the general rule is to use the lowest possible temperatures. A simple option is to transfer it from the chamber to the refrigerator. Most dishes do not require complete defrosting. Sometimes the product is used immediately. Or you need to let it melt slightly. In this case, leave for 30-60 minutes at room temperature.

Do not heat in a microwave oven or fill with warm or hot water. You should not send the workpiece to the radiator or place it on a hot lid of a saucepan or kettle. Not only the beneficial composition will suffer, but also the taste, consistency, and color will deteriorate. Champignons, sorrel and even kebab need to be defrosted correctly.

Defrosting bananas from the freezer

Preparing the Freezer

To speed up the freezing process, prepare one of the freezer compartments in advance and clear the lowest temperature zone from products previously placed for storage. Next, turn on its “Freezing” function or adjust the temperature control knob to set a lower temperature. At this time, the temperature inside the freezer will become lower, which helps protect against unwanted heat caused by storing warm food.

See also

How to properly freeze fresh apricots for the winter in the refrigerator and whether you can Read

What can you cook from frozen bananas?

Frozen banana palm fruit is rarely used as a stand-alone treat. It is often used as an ingredient in amazing ice cream. Below is a simple recipe. There are other ways to use it.

Options for using banana frozen:

• bakery. The pieces can be added to any pie, and the puree is used for pancakes. The fruit makes delicious banana bread;

• smoothie. Use a frozen or slightly thawed product and place it in a blender along with other ingredients;

• various cocktails. Cubes and pieces are added to improve the taste, aroma, and interesting appearance in various drinks.

When adding to dough, it is important to consider that frozen product contains more moisture. You may need to add a little flour. Sometimes the pieces are rolled in corn or potato starch.

How to make ice cream from frozen bananas

We offer the most popular banana ice cream recipe. Paradoxically, it is recommended to use it when losing weight instead of harmful sweets. There are much fewer calories than in regular ice cream, cakes, and pastries.

Ingredients:

• 150 g frozen banana;

• 60 ml milk.

Cooking instructions:

1. Pour the icy pieces into a blender.
2. Add cow's or plant milk. If necessary, we use low-fat types.
3. Beat for 30-40 seconds at maximum speed.

Soft serve ice cream can be consumed immediately. Or quickly transfer it into a mold, put it in the chamber for half an hour, then consume it frozen.

Simple ice cream - put a whole banana on a skewer, freeze, then top with chocolate glaze. She grabs it instantly.

Banana ice cream

If you're not sure you can use defrosted fruit to make baked goods or smoothies, make ice cream. Banana ice cream is easy to make from leftover fruit that you didn't have time to eat.

The cooking process will only take twenty to thirty minutes. Peel the ripe bananas and cut them in half. Insert popsicle sticks into cut ends. Dip them into melted chocolate or peanut butter. Then roll the workpiece in chopped nuts or sprinkles. Place bananas on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment. Place in the freezer for two hours or until completely frozen. Place banana ice cream in containers and label them with the date. Enjoy a tasty treat whenever you have a craving for something sweet. Remember that banana ice cream is not only tasty, but also healthy.