Can't eat bananas fast enough? Avoid the mush and always have some on hand for recipes with these easy banana freezing tips

As someone who suffers with potassium deficiency, bananas have become a staple ingredient in my kitchen and are a feature of many of my go-to recipes. Whether they're topping pancakes, bulking out smoothies, or adding to cakes, I find every opportunity to include them in my food.

Unfortunately, though, they would often become brown, mushy and unappetizing before I have time to eat them. However, learning how to freeze bananas has helped me to ensure that I avoid food waste and can enjoy this versatile fruit for longer. If you know to organize a chest freezer, too you'll always be able to grab some when you need it, instead of racing to use them up before they go past their best.

I spoke to a produce expert, a trained chef and a dietitian to learn about the various ways of freezing bananas to preserve their usability. Here's what I learnt.

1. How to freeze bananas whole and unpeeled

I've stored whole bananas with the peel still attached in my freezer before and didn't have the best results. But according to Melanie Marcus MA, a trained chef, registered dietitian and the manager of nutrition for Dole Food Company, if you do it a certain way your bananas will come out perfectly.

'I recommend cutting small 1-2 inch cross sections into the peel first before putting them in a bag for the freezer,' says Melanie. 'Doing this will help to prevent the peel from sticking to the banana when it freezes, making it easier to peel off when it's thawing.' Just be careful not to cut through to the actual fruit in the process, as doing so can cause the banana peel to heavily stick in those areas or split open during the freezing process while it expands.

You can score these lines into your banana peels using a kitchen knife and then freeze the whole bananas in sturdy bags, such as the Ziploc Freezer Bags 50 count from Walmart for extra protection against freezer burn.

2. How to freeze bananas whole and peeled

If you make lots of recipes that call for one or two bananas, freezing bananas in their whole form may be the handiest for measurements. There are two ways to do this and store bananas successfully, but Melanie pointed out to me that one is far more efficient than the other, even though it's a longer process.

'If you’re short on time or don’t want to fuss, you can toss all of your peeled, whole bananas into one freezer-safe bag, but beware you may need to pry them apart if they freeze together,' says Melanie. 'Alternatively, if you layer bananas between parchment or plastic wrap to freeze for a while first, then store them together in a freezer bag, they're far less likely to stick.'

I'm going to opt to freeze mine on this Ribbed Fridge Liner from The Container Store instead as it's reusable.

3. How to freeze sliced bananas

Freezing banana slices sounds like such a convenient option – easy to pop into the best personal blenders or add to overnight oats, perfectly portioned, straight from the freezer. But, in the past I've struggled to keep my little banana discs from clumping together.

Robert Schueller, an expert at Melissa's Produce which sells a large variety of different bananas, shared a simple hack to fix this issue. 'If you want to freeze individual slices of banana without them sticking together, the best way to do this is to freeze them first on a sheet of parchment paper, as you may also do with whole bananas.'

Once these are frozen solid, Melissa recommends transferring them to an airtight container like the YORY Storage Containers from Amazon. 'An airtight container will help to prevent discoloration and keep your slices neatly together.'

4. Freezing mashed banana

As someone who loves to bake with banana, storing it pre-mashed for different doughs and batters is something I definitely plan to try out.

Robert suggested, 'If you'd prefer to freeze your bananas mashed (a perfect choice for overripe bananas that are already beginning to lose texture), all you need to do is mash them up, store them in an airtight freezer bag, and flatten the mashed banana out. Flattening the banana makes it less bulky to store, easy to stack and quicker to thaw. It also helps to remove trapped air from the bag that could discolor your banana.'

I've since tried this hack out and discovered a bonus tip of my own. If you take a thin, long item, such as a reusable straw or knitting needle and press grid lines into your bag of mashed banana before freezing, you can make portioned cubes that can be snapped off as needed, rather than defrosting a whole bag.

5. Freezing cooked banana

Freezing cooked bananas from the store or your yard, if you know how to grow a banana tree, isn't something I had ever thought of doing before, but after researching this it's opened up so many new recipe ideas for me. Cooking banana can enhance flavor, produce a softer texture and caramelize for extra sweetness, as well as lock in extra nutrients.

'To freeze cooked bananas, you follow the same process for how you wish to freeze any other banana (sliced, mashed, whole, etc), but take time to ensure the cooked bananas have cooled down first,' says Robert. Making sure your bananas have cooled will protect the health of your freezer, by not raising its temperature and prevent your frozen cooked bananas from developing harmful bacteria.

Robin Phelps, founder and food preservation coach at The Food Preservation Guide, suggests the following ways to cook your bananas, which will still taste great after defrosting. 'I recommend cooking them in a skillet over medium heat with a bit of butter or oil. Optionally, you could add honey, white sugar or brown sugar to caramelize, plus spices like cinnamon or nutmeg for flavor.'

Freezing bananas FAQs

How long do bananas stay fresh for in the freezer?

Bananas stored correctly in the freezer should last between 3 and 6 months. If you notice they're beginning to brown at the 3 month mark, it's best to avoid eating them.

'When freezing, preserve banana and nutrient quality by removing as much air as possible to make them last longer in the freezer,' says Melanie.

How do you defrost a banana?

You can defrost frozen bananas in the refrigerator or at room temperature, though the amount of time they will require to thaw will vary depending on the method used and size of the banana pieces.

'To defrost bananas, sit them on a plate in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a couple of hours,' says Robert. 'Slices of banana will thaw faster than whole bananas. Once they're soft enough to cut, you will know they're defrosted.'

Do you have to defrost whole, unpeeled bananas before use?

Depending on what you're planning to use the bananas for, you may not have to defrost them before use. For instance, you can break up pieces of unthawed banana to add to smoothies or overnight oats. But if a banana is still frozen solid it isn't recommended to try to eat it as it is, as it will be incredibly tough to bite into.

Freezing produce is a great way to prevent food waste but if you're looking to go the extra mile in terms of sustainability, why not use banana peel as fertilizer in your yard? Your plants will be reaping the benefits in no time and it's free, as you'd only be putting them in the food bin or compost.