It happens to us all.
You buy bananas with every good intention, only for them to end up not getting eaten fast enough, if at all.
Then as nature begins to take its course; the bananas go from bright yellow-green, to dull yellow with those signature brown spots.
Not only that, but as the starch begins breaking down more and more, the bananas start getting softer and mushier and, eventually, begin the process of decomposition. Yuck, who wants to eat those, right?
But before that phase kicks in, while they’re just spotted, salvage them with the following suggestions.
What to Do With Brown Spotted Bananas
1. Bake with them
Use overripe, brown spotted bananas for banana bread, banana pudding and other desserts.
If you have a dessert in mind but perhaps you want to wait a few days (until the weekend, for example) peel them, put them into a plastic storage bag, and refrigerate them until you’re ready to bake up your goodies!
But if you don’t intend to bake with them anytime soon…
2. Freeze them
Overripe bananas freeze well and can be used in shakes, smoothies, and banana ice cream!
Simply peel them and put them into a freezer bag and into the freezer for later use. They store well in the freezer for up to about 3-4 months.
You can also put the peeled bananas on a shallow pan slightly spaced apart, freeze a little bit and then place into bags. This helps keep them from sticking together inside the bag.
3. Dehydrate them
If you own a food dehydrator, turn those brown spotted bananas into sweet, chewy, banana fruit leather or banana chips. These are a healthy, delicious way to curb your sweet tooth!
Overripe Banana Benefits
Aside from the ability to use overripe bananas in the aforementioned ways, another benefit is that they’re easier to digest, however; if you’re diabetic, watch your glucose levels.
It has also been suggested that bananas with brown spots (prior to the stage that the entire banana turns brown) can potentially act as an anti-cancer agent!
“Tumor Necrosis Factor(TNF-α) is a cytokine, substances secreted by certain cells of the immune system that have an effect on other cells. This is indeed helpful in fighting abnormal turmor cells in body. Research done on ripening bananas has proved that the levels of TNF-α induction increased markedly with dark spots on skin before the entire banana peel turned brown” Read more about the effect brown spotted bananas have on cells…
So the next time you find yourself with brown spotted bananas, remember these tips and don’t throw them away!
