Keep Bananas from Ripening Too Quickly With This Simple Solution

Much like an avocados, bananas seem to ripen at the speed of light, and while this can be *really* annoying, there’s a simple solution: Freeze your bananas. Frozen bananas come in handy when you get a sudden urge for soft serve (just whip ’em up in a food processor with a splash of vanilla extract). You can also use them as the base for a creamy smoothie, or dip them in chocolate to make a quick and easy dessert. Just remember, the riper your bananas are when you freeze them, the sweeter they’ll be.

How to Freeze Your Bananas

When it comes to freezing bananas, there are many different ways to approach the task. However, one hard and fast rule is never, ever freeze bananas with their skin on. If you do, you won’t be able to get it off and your carefully preserved piece of fruit will simply go to waste. Other than that, make sure to chop your bananas up into equal pieces (we like 3/4-inch slices).

Caution: Do not simply slice up a banana and throw the pieces into a Ziplock bag and hope for the best. Instead, slice the banana into uniform rounds and set them, evenly spaced, on a wax paper-lined baking sheet or freezer-proof dish. Then top with more wax paper (to avoid oxidation), and freeze overnight (or at least six hours). Once the slices have completely frozen, take them off the wax paper and place in a freezer bag or container for storage before putting them back in the freezer. This will prevent the pieces from sticking together and becoming a gummy ball that you’ll have to break apart later.

Now go bananas! This hack will not only appease your guilt about wasting food, it’ll ensure that you always have a few (not overly ripe) bananas on hand.

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(Photos via Anna Monette Roberts / Brit + Co)