Bananas are cheap and versatile, making them a grocery list staple, but their shelf life lets them down.
The soft yellow fruit is often hung over the fruit bowl for a few days, but left too long, and the bananas turn a brown mess.
Food waste expert Kate Hall has a clever solution to keeping bananas edible for months using the freezer.
But his storage hack is anything but conventional. It involves a much smarter way of storing bananas and adds flavor instead of just preserving it.
Sharing his views on Channel 5’s Fresh Vs Frozen: What is Better? Kate revealed the ‘split technique’ she uses to preserve bananas for months on end.
Kate explained: “When we stop and think about how far a banana, for example, has traveled; land, water, energy, transport, packaging, everything that has gone into that piece of food that we let go and go in the trash, it has a huge impact on our planet.”
A food waste expert pointed out that while you can put a whole banana in the freezer, “it turns black and looks pretty disgusting when you thaw it.”
Instead of recommending to cut the banana into round slices to freeze it, Kate suggested another method. by sharing it.
She explained: “You can just slice it with a tray, but also if you stick your finger in the end of the banana, it splits into three fingers and then they’re wonderful dipped in chocolate.”
Bananas can be frozen for up to six months, but for best quality they should be used within the first two or three months. Frozen bananas can cause burns if left in sub-zero temperatures for too long, but they are still safe to eat.
Kate’s split chocolate bananas are easy to follow for proper storage. Just line the baking sheet of the freezer drawer with greaseproof paper and place the three “fingers” flat side up.
Melt the chocolate of your choice in a bowl (either over a pan of boiling water or in the microwave), spoon or spoon onto the flat side of the fruit.
Allow to cool slightly before putting the bananas in the freezer without the packaging (just leave them on the parchment paper).
Once the bananas have hardened, transfer them to an airtight container or ziplock bag – this step is important to reduce freezer burn and leave them in the freezer for a few months.
