We’ve all been there: You purchased a big bunch of bananas only for most of them to go brown before you’ve had the time to eat them. So you should bake with them, right?
Sure, you can always make banana bread, Hummingbird Cake, or even ice cream from ripe bananas. But at what point are bananas too far gone to use? Can a banana simply be too ripe for baking?
If the peels have gone completely black, you might be thinking it’s time to dump them, but bananas are good for much longer than you may think. If you didn’t get a chance to freeze the bananas before they ripened, start preheating the oven, because more likely than not, they are perfectly fine to bake with.
How To Pick The Best Bananas For Baking
When it comes to baking, you want bananas covered all over in brown spots that smell very fragrant. These are signs that the banana is fully ripe, although you can wait longer until the bananas are completely brown or even black on the outside for the most flavor.
If your bananas are perfectly ripe and ready for baking, but you aren’t, freeze them so you’ll always have ripe bananas on hand.
If you have the opposite problem and need to ripen bananas quickly, store them in a warm spot or inside a paper bag; these methods will speed up the ripening process.
How To Ripen Bananas In The Oven
Why It’s Best To Bake With Brown Bananas
Ripe bananas are not only softer, and therefore easier to mash and blend into a batter, but they are also sweeter, which is why baking recipes specifically call for ripe bananas in ingredient lists. As the bananas ripen, the fruit converts starches to sugars, which makes them not only sweeter but more flavorful.
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