Can you freeze bananas?

Bananas freeze safely and keep well for several months. The peel darkens almost immediately because freezing ruptures cells and releases polyphenol oxidase, which browns on contact with air; the fruit inside is unaffected. The practical issue is that a frozen unpeeled banana is very hard to peel, so peel first. Thawed banana is soft and wet, which makes it excellent for baking and smoothies and poor for eating as fruit.

How to do it properly

1. Peel, then slice or break into chunks
2. Freeze the pieces spread out on a tray first, then bag them, so they do not clump
3. For banana bread, freeze whole peeled bananas and thaw in a bowl — keep the liquid, it is flavour
4. Use straight from frozen in smoothies for a thicker result

What goes wrong

• Unpeeled frozen bananas are almost impossible to peel
• Thawed banana is mushy and browns quickly

Other "can you freeze" questions

• Can you freeze cheese? It depends — Yes, and it stays safe indefinitely — but hard cheese comes out crumbly and soft cheese comes out wet.
• Can you freeze milk? Yes — Yes — leave headspace for expansion and shake it hard after thawing.
• Can you freeze eggs? It depends — Not in the shell. Beat them first, or freeze whites on their own.
• Can you freeze bread? Yes — Yes — freezing is the best way to store bread, far better than the fridge.
• Can you freeze cooked rice? Yes — Yes, and freezing quickly is the safest way to keep leftover rice.
• Can you freeze raw chicken twice? It depends — Only if it thawed in the fridge and never got above 4 °C (40 °F).
• Can you freeze breast milk? Yes — Yes — freeze it flat in bags, and use within six months for best quality.
• Can you freeze avocado? It depends — Yes, but only as a purée — frozen slices go grey and watery.
• Can you freeze soup? It depends — Yes for most soups; cream, milk and potato-based ones separate or go grainy.
• Can you freeze butter? Yes — Yes — butter freezes better than almost anything else in the fridge.
• Can you freeze cooked pasta? Yes — Yes — undercook it slightly and toss it in oil first, or it thaws into a solid block.
• Can you freeze mashed potatoes? Yes — Yes — mash with plenty of butter or cream, which protects the texture through freezing.