Strawberries in chocolate

How to keep bananas fresh: 4 rules for preserving the fruit

To extend the shelf life of a perishable product, they use methods proven by experienced housewives:

1. When buying bananas, whole bunches are selected; the fruit torn off at the base begins to turn black. Fruits with darkened skin, black spots, and dried legs will quickly become unusable; it is better not to buy them. In exceptional cases, you can buy 1-2 yellow bananas and eat them the same day.
2. The refrigerator is not an acceptable option for storing this product; in it, the skin will quickly darken and become stained. Room temperature is also not suitable, so they are placed in the basement or on the balcony in the cold season.
3. Increase the shelf life to two weeks, choosing unripe, slightly greenish specimens.
4. Drying of the peel leads to darkening of the fruit. By wrapping each fruit in cling film, you can slow down this process. But bananas cannot be wrapped in a plastic bag.

Is it possible to freeze bananas and why is it necessary?

Bananas are perishable foods. If transportation, temperature and storage conditions are incorrect, the substances contained in this product interact with the environment, causing its deterioration. For longer storage, freezing technology is used, which stops putrefactive processes.

The fruit contains minerals, antioxidants, vitamins B1, B2, B6, C and various trace elements (potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, fiber, fructose, beta-carotene).

Proper freezing allows you to preserve the beneficial substances and properties of the product for a long time.

Incorrect storage temperature leads to rapid ripening or overripening, which affects the appearance (darkening, spots appear), consistency (becomes loose), and taste. If bananas are frozen correctly, spoilage of the product is excluded.

In addition, storing bananas in the freezer allows you to use them in the preparation of various dishes and drinks, regardless of the season.

Should bananas be frozen?

Optimal storage conditions

In order for fruits to remain fresh and not lose their taste and beneficial properties, it is necessary to maintain certain conditions:

• Optimal temperature. The main reason for loss of presentation of a product is unacceptable temperature conditions. Long storage time is ensured by temperatures from +12 to +14 degrees. Standard +22...+25 degrees in the room are destructive for fruit. And under the influence of cold in the refrigerator, they will quickly become covered with black spots.
• Required level of air humidity. As the liquid evaporates from the banana skin, the flesh dries out and loses its shape. To prevent excessive evaporation of air and conserve moisture, the legs of the fruit are wrapped in cling film and foil.
• Lack of direct sunlight. When exposed to the sun, fruits quickly turn black and spoil.

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How to store ripe bananas at home so they don't turn black?

To slow down the process of darkening of the fruit, you need to separate all the fruits from the bunch and wrap the stem in food foil. This way the stalk will not dry out and the fruit will retain its presentation for a long time.

Where is the best place to store it?

When overcooled, the product turns black; when the temperature exceeds +22 degrees, the same thing happens.

The ideal storage location is a cool pantry or the bottom shelf of a kitchen cabinet.

It is not recommended to leave bananas in the refrigerator for a long time. The exceptions are the following cases:

• If the fruits are already cut into circles, they are covered with a plate on top and eaten within the next 2-3 hours after being left in the refrigerator.
• If it's a hot summer, there is no cool corner in the apartment, there is no air conditioning.

The maximum storage time for ripe fruits in the refrigerator is one day. They are placed on the refrigerator door, previously wrapped in soft paper.

At what temperature?

Storage conditions for ripe fruits:

Can I freeze it for the winter and how to do it?

When there are a lot of ripe bananas, it is impossible to eat them in the near future; the only way out is freezing.

Ripe, overripe fruits are suitable for freezing; green fruits are not used.

Method for freezing bananas at home in the freezer:

1. The peeled fruits are first washed with running water to wash away ethylene and microbes. Excess moisture is blotted with a paper napkin.
2. It is better to use a separate freezer container so that there is no other food in it.
3. The fruits are separated from the bunch, each packaged in individual bags. The shelf life of frozen fruit is 8 weeks.
4. Bananas removed from the freezer will turn brown, but this is just the skin. Under it, the fruit will retain its benefits and taste.

Be sure to read:

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Where to keep green bananas to ripen?

Unripe fruit tastes like grass. Therefore, housewives prefer to leave them to keep up. To speed up ripening, a bunch of fruit is hung on a hook in a place protected from daylight.

The temperature should not exceed +17 degrees; it is preferable to place the fruits in the pantry.

Important! To increase the storage time of green fruits, you need to wrap the stalks in food foil. They should not be placed next to ripe bananas: the release of ethylene from them will significantly speed up the ripening process.

Freezing cilantro

Household freezers are suitable for freezing. The minimum temperature is 12 degrees. Cilantro is preserved better at -18 degrees

In addition to the freezer, it is important to prepare airtight packaging

Suitable container:

• vacuum bags;
• dense bags for freezing;
• food containers.

Not suitable:

• thin polyethylene;
• paper, parchment;
• metal containers.

Sometimes intermediate dishes are required. These are ice molds and silicone containers. They are only needed to freeze. Next, the product is transferred to an airtight container for long-term storage.

Twigs

A classic way to prepare aromatic cilantro. Ideally obtained in vacuum bags. Or we use regular thick bags. Thin polyethylene is not suitable.

Instructions:

1. Wash the branches. Immediately sort through and remove any limp, yellowed greens.
2. Place on a paper towel, cover with a second one, and collect excess moisture.
3. Let air dry for 20-30 minutes. You don’t need any longer, the cilantro will wilt.
4. Collect in bunches, shorten the stems to equal length. Place in bags.
5. Seal, pump out or squeeze out air. For compactness, it is possible to wrap the bags with thread or elastic.
6. Freeze in the chamber.

It is advisable to immediately lay even bundles. Then in winter there will be no problems with chopping. We do not recommend using containers for this method. Getting frozen branches out of the total mass is problematic.

Shredded

The most convenient method to use. In this way it is easy to freeze only the leaves, or together with the stems. Focus on the quality of the product.

Instructions:

1. Chop the cilantro as you would for a salad or soup.
2. Place in containers, bags, and other containers in small portions for 1-2 uses.
3. Seal tightly and freeze.

Adding salt will help save space and extend shelf life. The chopped leaves are lightly rubbed with your hands with a small amount until the juice appears, packaged, and frozen.

Cubes

It is not necessary to take a mold in the form of cubes. Any other model will do. You can even freeze it in the insert of a box of chocolates.

Instructions:

1. Chop the cilantro finely.
2. Fill the cubes, pack tightly.
3. Add 1-2 tsp to each cell. boiled cold water.
4. Place in a chamber and freeze.
5. After 6-7 hours, knock the cubes into a bag or container. Return to freezer.

An option is to freeze cilantro puree and chopped coriander sprigs in a food processor into cubes. In this case, it is easy to do without water; native juice is enough. This preparation is ideal for sauces, marinades, and added to hot dishes.

In oil

To freeze cilantro at home for the winter using this method, you will need unrefined olive oil. It is allowed to take other types.

Instructions:

1. Place 100 g of cilantro into a food processor. Lightly chop. There is no need to puree it. Or chop very finely with a knife.
2. Add 140-160 ml olive oil.
3. Pack into small containers. It is allowed to use silicone molds and ice containers.
4. Freeze and after 10-12 hours transfer to an airtight container.

The second way to freeze aromatic coriander is to mix it with butter. It is necessary to add 3 tbsp to 100 g of oil. l. chopped cilantro. Place in a bag, shape into a briquette or sausage, and freeze.

Freezing chopped cilantro

Green mixture

It is not necessary to prepare only cilantro. It goes well with other types of greens. Mostly dill, parsley are used, less often sorrel, and lettuce. The type of additive depends on the purpose of use.

1. Cut the cilantro, add other greens in any proportion. We focus on your taste.
2. Pack in portions into bags and molds.
3. To freeze.

You can freeze the assortment in the form of cubes, grind it into puree or mix different branches, or prepare whole bunches.

Banana ripeness levels

The ability to determine its degree of ripeness will help you choose a quality fruit.

There are 8 degrees of maturation:

1. The skin is green. The entire fruit from stem to tip has no yellow spots.
2. A barely noticeable yellowness appears on the fruit; the stem and tail remain green.
3. Looking at the fruit in your hands, it is impossible to understand whether it is yellow or green.
4. The whole banana takes on a rich yellow hue, but the tail remains green.
5. The fruit is completely yellow in color, without darkening or admixture of greenery.
6. Dark spots appear on the sides.
7. The stem of the fruit is dry and the entire skin is black.
8. When pressed, the peel cracks and the dark pulp is squeezed out. This is absolutely rotten fruit.

Features of storing yellow fruits in peels

Keep bananas in their peels in a suspended state; it is better to select whole bunches in advance. The bunches should not be placed near other fruits; they will begin to deteriorate under the influence of the ethylene they release.

Where to store ripe bananas?

TOP 4 places at home where ripe bananas are best preserved:

1. Cellar.
2. A kitchen cabinet with no other fruit in it.
3. Closed box on the balcony (suitable for the cold season).
4. Food container in the pantry.

Features of storing peeled bananas

If the peeled bananas are whole, they can be frozen. The product will have a shelf life of approximately 12 weeks.

To prevent the fruits from sticking together, place them on a cutting board at a distance from each other and leave it in the freezer for an hour. Then they are placed in resealable bags, and the day of freezing is written with a marker.

Be sure to read:

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Freezing bananas in pieces

If you don't have much space in the freezer, you can save it by cutting the fruit into slices:

1. The peeled fruits are washed with running water, peeled, and cut into neat pieces.
2. Place the product on a cutting board so that the mugs do not touch each other. Place in the freezer for an hour.
3. After an hour, the pieces are poured into a common bag, the date of freezing is written down before being sent to the freezer.

Freezing banana puree

Another proven way to save space in the freezer is to freeze banana mass.

It is better to grind the fruits into puree not with a blender, but in a wooden mortar (the fruit will not come into contact with the metal, the food will darken less).

After grinding, the pulp is sprinkled with lemon juice, placed in a plastic container, and sent to the freezer. Just in case, it is better to indicate the freezing date on the container.

How to freeze bananas at home

There are several recipes and methods used for freezing bananas. They use both peeled and whole peeled fruits, as well as chopped into cubes or circles, in the form of puree. Each method has its own advantages.

With peel

Many people are attracted by the low cost of this method. Fresh fruits are placed in freezer bags and placed in the freezer. Each of them must indicate the date of bookmarking. Frozen fruits have a slightly dark skin, but this does not affect their taste, they remain the same, only a little softer.

Before use, bananas are taken out to defrost, leaving them indoors at room temperature. They are cleaned as usual. These fruits are used to make smoothies, baked goods and as a filler in porridges.

Norms, shelf life of bananas, what should not be stored with them

From the moment the fruits are harvested (they are collected green), bananas are stored for 40 days. On store shelves where ideal conditions are created, fruits can last up to 30 days.

Ripe fruits are stored in the apartment for 2 to 4 days, depending on the conditions created. Green ones will last 2-3 weeks.

In the freezer, whole specimens with peel are stored for no longer than 8 weeks, peeled – 2-3 months.

Bananas should not be stored together with other fruits: apples, pears, plums. The exception is fruits with a dense crust, for example, watermelons.