# How do you keep your bananas from going bad?



## pennywaltz

So yeah I love buying the 3 lb $1.25 Banana deals from costcos. they are usually very green when I buy them. But they turn the perfect yellowish color in a day or two. 

So how do I preserve these bananas from going bad quickly? I live alone and I don't think I can eat 3 lbs of banana in the short lifespan of a bananas... I feel bad wasting it....


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## Dawgluver

pennywaltz said:
			
		

> So yeah I love buying the 3 lb $1.25 Banana deals from costcos. they are usually very green when I buy them. But they turn the perfect yellowish color in a day or two.
> 
> So how do I preserve these bananas from going bad quickly? I live alone and I don't think I can eat 3 lbs of banana in the short lifespan of a bananas... I feel bad wasting it....



You can keep them in the fridge.  The peels turn color, but the fruit itself is fine.  I always rinse mine after bringing them home as they seem to breed fruit flies.  Freezing is good too, easier when peeled.


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## Andy M.

We buy fewer bananas so we have a chance of eating them before they brown.  Any uneaten ones are frozen for banana bread.


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## babetoo

ditto on the freezing. however, mine tend to stack up in the freezer. just threw away 8 of em . when i got new fridge. no room for stuff i just think i might use (some day)


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## pacanis

Lately I've been leaving mine at the store until I specifically need some 
I haven't had a banana in the house in probably a month. I noticed that too many were getting tossed to the chickens (without the peel of course). I'll abstain and then when I purchase a small bunch I'll be sure to use them up for the things I like; on cereal, making ice cream or banana bread. 
I've found out that if I am buying food that is going bad, then I am buying out of habit. Not a good thing.


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## pennywaltz

pacanis said:


> Lately I've been leaving mine at the store until I specifically need some
> I haven't had a banana in the house in probably a month. I noticed that too many were getting tossed to the chickens (without the peel of course). I'll abstain and then when I purchase a small bunch I'll be sure to use them up for the things I like; on cereal, making ice cream or banana bread.
> I've found out that if I am buying food that is going bad, then I am buying out of habit. Not a good thing.



whoa a whole month! that is maddness! i love my bananas  I eat one maybe every other day or so. I try to eat them all or make them into strawberries/banana milkshakes before the go bad... but yeah I was wondering how to prolong. 

I seem to have the fruit fly problem when my banana starts to turn brown. When it's yellow I have no fruit flies....


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## Claire

Big answer is to eat them!  Hah!  Seriously, they freeze well.  They are good snacks for kids, go into recipes.


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## PrincessFiona60

We both eat a banana a day, I buy them 6 at a time.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef

Learn to make banana bread. Lots and lots of banana bread.


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## RuthZ

Ditto the banana-buying habit... Ditto banana bread and freezing!


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## Aunt Bea

I never buy more than three at a time anymore for all of the reasons stated above.  

If you like shakes the frozen ones seem like they would be perfect.

I stopped on the banana bread and cake idea because I was spending $5.00 to save a $0.25 banana.  Also they never went bad at my house, unfortunately.


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## Max Sutton

*Store in refrigerator*

I put my ripe bananas in the refrigerator during the summer months. Yes the outer skins turn colors but the insides remain fine. Try it.


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## sparrowgrass

Pacanis--why don't you give the banana skin to the chickens?  My chickens get all the organic waste from my kitchen, with the exception of bones.  (No bones, because the dogs want to dig under the fence for them.)  What they don't eat, they turn into nice compost.

I line my 'chicken bucket' with a sheet of newpaper so I don't have to scrub it out--they shred the paper and it is invisible by the next time I carry the bucket out.  They also get paper towels and other little bits of paper.

I have 20 chickens, so they do a good job of 'composting' everything.


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## Selkie

Aunt Bea said:


> I never buy more than three at a time anymore for all of the reasons stated above.
> 
> If you like shakes the frozen ones seem like they would be perfect.
> 
> I stopped on the banana bread and cake idea because I was spending $5.00 to save a $0.25 banana.  Also they never went bad at my house, unfortunately.



Ditto!


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## JGDean

I was paying over 4 dollars for 4 frozen chocolate dipped bananas for DH. I started cutting fresh bananas in half and sticking popsicle sticks from the craft store in them and freezing then dipping in melted chocolate. They keep well in the freezer and make nice semi-healthy snacks. If you want to make them lower in sugar you can buy the artifically sweetened chocolate.


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## pacanis

sparrowgrass said:


> Pacanis--why don't you give the banana skin to the chickens? My chickens get all the organic waste from my kitchen, with the exception of bones. (No bones, because the dogs want to dig under the fence for them.) What they don't eat, they turn into nice compost.
> 
> I line my 'chicken bucket' with a sheet of newpaper so I don't have to scrub it out--they shred the paper and it is invisible by the next time I carry the bucket out. They also get paper towels and other little bits of paper.
> 
> I have 20 chickens, so they do a good job of 'composting' everything.


 
I pretty much follow this, Sparrowgrass.
Raising BackYard Chickens, Build a Chicken Coop, Pictures of Breeds

I don't give the peel for any other reason than it says not to


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## PrincessFiona60

*How do you keep your bananas from going bad?

*Teach them good manners from the start...*
*


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## pacanis

PrincessFiona60 said:


> *How do you keep your bananas from going bad?*
> 
> Teach them good manners from the start...**


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## Kayelle

I seldom buy banana's because they seem to have just a one day time span where I will eat them.  They need to be at that precise day that they are fit for eating...if they have gone to the next day, and have *any* of those little spots on them that my mother lovingly called "sugar spots"........they are spoiled in my opinion. Ick.


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## Selkie

Those "little" spots simply signify that the banana is ripened and ready to eat. It won't be discolored on the inside.

Major discoloration may have one or two interior discolorations, but those can be easily trimmed off if they bother you. The rest of the flesh is just fine and is generally ready for use in freezing or baking.


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## Dawgluver

What a wonderfully cheap source of potassium and fiber.  Just wish I could eat 'em without getting grossed out by the slimy texture.  DH eats one every day.  I can eat them IN stuff, just not alone.

When we ended up with a large amount from a big breakfast, I sliced them thinly and dehydrated them.  Really good and crunchy.


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## Kayelle

[COLOR=Red said:
			
		

> Selkie;1042665]Those "little" spots simply signify that the banana is ripened and ready to eat. It won't be discolored on the inside.
> [/COLOR]
> Major discoloration may have one or two interior discolorations, but those can be easily trimmed off if they bother you. The rest of the flesh is just fine and is generally ready for use in freezing or baking.



You sound like my mother Selkie. 
OK.......the day before it gets any little spots is the day for me. 
I guess I just don't like a perfectly ripe banana.


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## Kayelle

Dawgluver said:


> What a wonderfully cheap source of potassium and fiber.  Just wish I could eat 'em without getting grossed out by the slimy texture.  DH eats one every day.  I can eat them IN stuff, just not alone.
> 
> When we ended up with a large amount from a big breakfast, I sliced them thinly and dehydrated them.  Really good and crunchy.



Oh yeah Dawg........that "slimy" thing.

I love love love banana chips!!


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## Snip 13

Blend them till smooth with some yogurt and honey and freeze in popsicle  molds for a yummy frozen treat. You can also blend them with milk and add condensed milk for sweetness, also delicious


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## Fabiabi

The only thing I can say is buy less or eat more, if they get too ripe for you to eat then make milkshakes. I don't think you can slow bananas down.


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## PrincessFiona60

Bananas have to be mostly green for me to eat them...I eat them green and Shrek eats them ripe,,,so they last for both of us and I buy bananas every three days.


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## pacanis

I used to prefer them on the green side, but now I like them yellow. Too much brown on the peel and they are usually softer than I like for eating. Especially on cereal.


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## joesfolk

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Bananas have to be mostly green for me to eat them...I eat them green and Shrek eats them ripe,,,so they last for both of us and I buy bananas every three days.


 Jack Spratt could eat no fat....


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## PrincessFiona60

LOL!


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## pennywaltz

Sorry for the late reply. I have been dealing with power outage due to Irene... finally gave in and drove an hour to my parent's house for hot water and electricity after 14 hours without electric.



PrincessFiona60 said:


> *How do you keep your bananas from going bad?
> 
> *Teach them good manners from the start...*
> *



LMAO... I will send them to Banana finishing school!.. or I can use them as condom demonstrators (I'm in the health field.. mainly HIV.. so I tend to think that way!) 

Thanks for the ideas on freezing them. I have frozen strawberries... so does one peel the banana prior to freezing? I would think I would peel them and cut them and ziplock it and freeze it?

I don't like banana bread  I work too much as is, I barely have time to cook dinner 




Kayelle said:


> Oh yeah Dawg........that "slimy" thing.
> 
> I love love love banana chips!!



So how does one make banana chips? I'm asian and they sell them allt he time in asian markets.. and recently american markets...


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## Snip 13

pennywaltz said:


> Sorry for the late reply. I have been dealing with power outage due to Irene... finally gave in and drove an hour to my parent's house for hot water and electricity after 14 hours without electric.
> 
> 
> 
> LMAO... I will send them to Banana finishing school!.. or I can use them as condom demonstrators (I'm in the health field.. mainly HIV.. so I tend to think that way!)
> 
> Thanks for the ideas on freezing them. I have frozen strawberries... so does one peel the banana prior to freezing? I would think I would peel them and cut them and ziplock it and freeze it?
> 
> I don't like banana bread  I work too much as is, I barely have time to cook dinner
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So how does one make banana chips? I'm asian and they sell them allt he time in asian markets.. and recently american markets...



You make them like This


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## Claire

I'm trying to figure out if I've already said this.  Those green bags do help.  I've actually put a half of an apple or half of a banana in one and had them stay white for a day (not together!  Bananas and apples will make each other ripen faster!  Go straight to brown!).  But some times I just want a half and the green bags do slow down the process (also lettuce and cabbage will last longer before "rusting").  This is a real help if you're a one or two person household.


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## Skittle68

So if I want my bananas to ripen faster so I can make bread I should put them in a bag with an apple? Lol.


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## taxlady

Kayelle said:


> I seldom buy banana's because they seem to have just a one day time span where I will eat them.  They need to be at that precise day that they are fit for eating...if they have gone to the next day, and have *any* of those little spots on them that my mother lovingly called "sugar spots"........they are spoiled in my opinion. Ick.



My mother called bananas with brown spots "candied". Yuck. My sister liked them. My DH thinks I eat unripe 'nanners. We get about three days of 'nanner eating out of a bunch. The rest get left out until really ripe and then frozen for 'nanner bread.


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## Rocklobster

This is one reason I drink smoothies. I rarely have a problem with over ripe fruit. They can go in the blender long after they become over ripe. Even better because they get very sweet. I have eaten or drank 3 or 4 bananas at a time. Usually about 10 a week around here


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## chopper

Rocklobster said:
			
		

> This is one reason I drink smoothies. I rarely have a problem with over ripe fruit. They can go in the blender long after they become over ripe. Even better because they get very sweet. I have eaten or drank 3 or 4 bananas at a time. Usually about 10 a week around here



Love those smoothies myself. A good place for the overripe fruit!


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## taxlady

Skittle68 said:


> So if I want my bananas to ripen faster so I can make bread I should put them in a bag with an apple? Lol.



Yes.

It's also good when the bananas want to go from green to that weird greyish yellow that is inedible. It's the ethylene gas that the apples produce. Some other fruits produce it too.


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## Addie

Just a note of interrest folks. When you freeze bananas, the skin will turn black and the flesh inside is perfectly fit to eat.


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## Rocklobster

Addie said:


> Just a note of interrest folks. When you freeze bananas, the skin will turn black and the flesh inside is perfectly fit to eat.


One problem here is that they go in the freezer with the best of intentions, but they never come out.


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## taxlady

Addie said:


> Just a note of interrest folks. When you freeze bananas, the skin will turn black and the flesh inside is perfectly fit to eat.



Not if you let them get very ripe first. They will be perfect for banana bread, but not for eating. Liquid separates from the flesh and they are kinda gross. For banana bread, reduce that liquid and measure the bananas by volume. Intense banana flavour.


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## Addie

Rocklobster said:


> One problem here is that they go in the freezer with the best of intentions, but they never come out.


 
I used to make banana bread all the time for my son's wife. But she is dead now, so I eat the bananas fast.


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## Skittle68

taxlady said:
			
		

> Not if you let them get very ripe first. They will be perfect for banana bread, but not for eating. Liquid separates from the flesh and they are kinda gross. For banana bread, reduce that liquid and measure the bananas by volume. Intense banana flavour.



That's EXACTLY what I do!!! My banana bread is so banana-ey lol. I also add chocolate chips to make banana split bread


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## CWS4322

Never buy bananas--I hate the smell and texture, so I don't have a problem with bananas going bad <g>.


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## taxlady

CWS4322 said:


> Never buy bananas--I hate the smell and texture, so I don't have a problem with bananas going bad <g>.



A primate who doesn't like 'nanners? I'm shocked and stunned.


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