Ingredient guide
Cooking With Bananas
Ripening control and the best uses for bananas past their prime.
How to store bananas
Counter until ripe, then refrigerate — the skin blackens but the fruit holds.
How long does bananas last?
2–7 days on the counter; months frozen, peeled.
Signs it has gone bad
Fermented alcohol smell, oozing, or mold at the stem.
Cooking notes
- Bake at 300°F (150°C) for 15 minutes to fast-ripen firm bananas for baking.
- Freeze peeled overripe bananas in bags instead of throwing them out.
Quick ways to use up bananas
- Banana bread
- Smoothies
- Frozen banana ice cream
- Pancake mix-in