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Is it possible to freeze bananas: a trick from advanced housewives
22.06.2024 02:10
Familiar to everyone, aromatic tropical fruits are very popular and available to customers in stores at any time of the year.
These fruits contain a large amount of fiber, vitamins and minerals, and also have some healing properties.
If the fruit supply is too large to be eaten fresh, you can prepare them for future use in different ways. This article will discuss how to freeze bananas for the winter fresh for storage.
Freezing conditions and rules
Bananas are well suited for storage in the freezer, their tender pulp after defrosting retains most of the nutrients, appearance and taste. In order for the fruit to remain fresh for more than six months, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of -18°C and below in the freezer.
If the temperature is around -12°C, you can freeze bananas for the winter and keep the fruit in the freezer for 3-4 months. The shelf life of the product also depends on the chosen storage method: whole bananas with peel can remain valid a little longer than peeled and chopped ones.
Selecting and Preparing Bananas
To prevent the fruit from spoiling, you should choose fully ripe bananas for freezing, or even slightly overripe ones, with dark spots and spots on the peel. Such bananas have a sweet taste and a strong aroma.
Greenish, unripe fruits are not suitable for this method of storage; their inexpressive taste will become completely bland after thawing. They should first be given time to ripen at room temperature.
Before freezing in the refrigerator, the fruits must be washed well and then dried or wiped with a towel. This is done to remove dirt and special substances that the fruits were treated with during transportation and storage.
Then, depending on the chosen processing method, the bananas are peeled, coarsely chopped or crushed.
To prevent the surface of peeled fruits from darkening during processing and storage, lightly sprinkle the fruits with lemon juice.
Freezing methods
Bananas are frozen in different ways, depending on the purpose of use and the intended recipes. In order to use the pulp of these fruits in mixed dishes or baked goods, you can prepare the fruits whole, with the peel.
Whole peeled bananas are frozen for the same purpose. This saves some space in the freezer and time for defrosting the peel when defrosting.
Fruits cut into pieces can be used in salads, as well as added to drinks prepared in a blender. In addition, such pieces can be used to make fruit ice cream.
If you need to make a stock of bananas to add to baby food, they are ground in a blender until puree and frozen in small molds.
In full
Whole bananas are very easy to freeze. You can store them either in the peel or peeled. In all cases, the fruits must be thoroughly washed, dried with a towel or naturally, in the open air.
Here's what you need to do next:
1. Wrap bananas with peels tightly, each separately, in a plastic bag or take food stretch film. Then place the fruit on a tray and put it in the freezer. When defrosted, the peel will be dark, but the pulp will retain a light shade and normal consistency.
2. Distribute the peeled bananas on a tray so that they do not touch each other and do not stick together when icing. You can sprinkle them with lemon juice, so the surface of the bananas will not darken and will retain its attractive appearance. Freeze the banana in the freezer for 3-4 hours (until completely frozen). Then take them out, quickly pack 3-6 pieces in plastic bags, trying to squeeze out excess air from the container. Return the hermetically sealed packages to the freezer for permanent storage.
In pieces
Bananas crushed with wheels can be used as a ready-made delicacy, as well as in dishes and drinks. This method is a little more troublesome to prepare, but gives more options for use after freezing. Procedure:
1. Wash the bananas, dry them or wipe them with a towel. This important step should not be skipped, because during transportation the fruit not only got dirty, but was also probably treated with various preservatives.
2. Peel the fruit and cut it into rings of any thickness. Sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent the cuts from darkening. Any other sour juice will do.
3. Distribute the pieces on trays covered with parchment or foil. They should not touch each other. Place in the freezer for 2-3 hours.
4. Take out the trays, quickly pack the cut fruits in small portions into suitable containers. These can be polyethylene bags, plastic containers with lids. It is important that 1 portion can be used at a time, because the tender banana pulp cannot be re-frozen after thawing.
5. Store sliced vegetables in the freezer at -18°C for 6 months or more, at -12°C for up to 4 months.
In the form of puree
This product is suitable for making drinks, adding to porridges, milk. Puree is used for baby food, adding fruit ice to dishes for the little ones. To make frozen puree, you need:
1. Wash, dry and peel the bananas.
2. Cut the pulp into large pieces, place in a blender, and grind until smooth. You can mash the fruit manually with a fork, but the consistency of the puree will be uneven. If desired, you can add lemon juice at a rate of 1 teaspoon per 200 grams of fruit. This will help preserve the light shade, otherwise the puree will quickly turn brown. This will not affect the taste, the issue concerns only the appearance of the product.
3. Distribute the resulting semi-liquid mass into small containers, such as ice cube trays or small silicone cupcake tins. Place in the freezer for 2-3 hours until completely frozen.
4. Take out the containers with banana puree and pack them hermetically for further storage. You can leave the puree in the forms, wrapping it in polyethylene or cling film on top, or take the ice pieces out of the containers and pack it in portions. The main thing is that the product is securely packed and does not come into contact with other products in the freezer.
Banana Ice Cream Recipe
Another way to freeze bananas for the winter at home is ice cream. This wonderful fruit treat fits organically into any diet or healthy eating program. After all, this product contains only natural ingredients and is suitable as a dessert for everyone.
To make this ice cream you will need a banana, some lemon juice and any sweet fruit fillings, such as strawberries, cherries, raspberries, currants. You can also add honey if the mixture is not sweet enough for dessert. Here is the sequence of actions:
1. Wash, dry and peel the bananas.
2. Cut them into rings about 3 cm thick, place in the freezer for 1 to 1.5 hours. The pieces should freeze slightly, but not harden too much. This will allow you to get a thicker, denser consistency when whipping than if you puree warm fruits.
3. Place the cooled banana rings in a mixer bowl, add the juice of other fruits or their pulp if desired. You can also make a purely banana treat, without any fillers. Beat everything with a mixer or blender until it becomes a thick cream.
4. Place the ice cream in bowls or containers and quickly put it in the freezer. Set the freezing mode to the lowest temperature so that the ice cream does not lose its shape. It will be ready in 2-3 hours.
It is not for nothing that this tasty and healthy fruit is so popular in all countries of the world. It is a real superfood that combines high nutritional value, rich vitamin and mineral composition, pleasant aroma and subtle taste.
Having learned whether it is possible to freeze bananas for the winter and how to make natural fruit ice cream from them, you can easily diversify both your everyday and holiday menus with sweet dishes and healthy drinks.
Previously we talked about making red citrus tea .
