Fruits are something that many people all around the world can appreciate. What makes fruit even better in the eyes of most people is the fact that you can work with it in so many different ways.
From adding it into savory dishes for an interesting twist to adding it into sweet dishes as a fun flavor, there are countless different ways that you can incorporate fruits into your life.
However, depending on what you do with the fruit, you may come to find that you are no longer sure about how you are supposed to store it. There are some fruits that, once you have changed them to put them into another recipe, the amount of time the fruit can last changes.
For example, an apple can usually last more than a few days sitting on your counter, but once you put it into cheesecake, it isn’t going to last very long on the counter.
When you are working with fruit as a part of a recipe, there’s going to be a chance that you have to change the way you store the fruit. Understanding what changes you have to make is going to be difficult if you aren’t sure how you are supposed to store the fruit in the first place.
If you are working on making chocolate covered bananas, you are going to have to know the best way to store the bananas first.
Storing Bananas Properly
As most people who purchase bananas know, they are notoriously fast at spoiling.
Most people purchase their bananas mildly under ripe so that they have a chance to be used before they spoil because they are known for spoiling in a matter of days. Because of this, it is incredibly important that you know how to store your bananas.
Naturally, to stop the spoiling process, you are going to want to place the bananas in a cold environment.
The question then becomes whether you should store them in the fridge, where there is a degree of humidity that will not affect the texture of bananas that tend to have a higher moisture content, or whether you should store them in the dry freezer, which will likely freeze any moisture in the banana.
While you can certainly choose to store a banana in the fridge, it is usually not optimal. Because the fridge allows for some moisture inside of it, this means that the spoiling process will likely continue without being hindered very much.
If a banana would normally last for about two to five days on your counter, you can expect that it would last close to about four to seven days in the fridge. The coldness of the fridge will stall the cooling process, but not by much.
With that being said, the freezer is going to be the best place for you to store your bananas. It will not be a timeless fix as the freezer can be for some types of food, but for a type of food that can and will spoil within a couple days on the counter, putting it in the freezer can extend its life drastically.
Generally, a banana can last for about four to six months in the freezer, assuming that it is whole and peeled. The smaller the banana slice, the less time it will last.
There are some recipes where you won’t have to worry about slicing the banana. What this means for you is that you will be able to freeze your banana without having to try and calculate how much shorter its lifespan will be because you cut the banana into small little slices.
For instance, consider chocolate dipped bananas.
Storing Chocolate Dipped Bananas
Chocolate dipped bananas are about as simple as they sound. What you typically do to create this refreshing dessert is take a banana, peel it, and then slice it in half.
You will want to put each half of a banana on a stick and then dip the entire banana into a cup of chocolate.
Once the banana is completely submerged and has a coating of chocolate on it, you store the banana in the fridge to solidify the chocolate and then you will be ready to eat this tasty and simple treat.
These treats combine the healthiness of bananas with the tastiness of chocolate to create a delicious snack that anyone can enjoy. However, you might wonder if the chocolate covering of the banana will do anything to improve its shelf life.
The truth is that, at room temperature on the counter, the chocolate is only going to end up melting, meaning that the peeled banana will likely begin to spoil in a matter of a day or two.
But, what about putting the banana in the freezer? If storing bananas in the freezer means that you can extend the shelf life of a banana up to six months, then is there a chance that storing your chocolate covered bananas in the freezer will yield the same result?
Much like with the original core banana, storing bananas in the fridge will work for a short amount of time, but it will always be better for you to store your chocolate covered banana in the freezer.
When properly stored, chocolate covered bananas can last for several weeks in the freezer. You shouldn’t keep the chocolate covered bananas in the freezer for more than three weeks, though, or else you may find that the bananas are no longer tasty or good to eat.
Compared to a shelf life of a day or two on the counter, storing them in the freezer will prolong these treats drastically.
Speaking of storing them properly, you will want to make sure that you take the proper measures to let the bananas last as long as possible. You shouldn’t just place an uncovered chocolate covered banana into your freezer, as there’s a good chance that it will not keep well like this.
Instead, you are going to want to purchase a freezer-safe resealable bag. These bags are often designed to handle the freezer’s harsh environment, so you won’t have to worry about the banana inside.
When you put the banana into the bag, you are going to want to do two things. First, you are going to want to mark the date on the bag so that you can feel confident that the banana you are eating is not beyond the time when you should be eating it.
After you do this, you are going to want to push as much air out of the freezer-safe bag as you can. This will help to preserve its life in the freezer.
After you have done this, you can then store the bananas in the freezer. You should aim to get this process ready as soon as you have decided that you are not going to eat the bananas at this very moment, as the spoiling process will happen fast and you will want to get as much life out of the banana as possible.
Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.