Banana discovery...

As I was reading your lead in and saw you were using non-frozen bananas for smoothies and only freezing for baking I was thinking "she should use those frozen ones for the smoothies!".  I like to slice mine in half before freezing as I usually only use half a banana in a smoothie along with other frozen fruit.  I love it because I don't need ice which I don't typically keep in my freezer anyhow and it just waters down a smoothie. 

I think I dismissed frozen bananas because of what they look like once they are defrosted...quite honestly they are disgusting when defrosted!  Maybe I thought my blender couldn't handle them actually frozen.  I dunno...I was just surprised.

I use a combination of fresh/canned/frozen fruit in my smoothies.  I occasionally need to add ice to make the consistency right if I pork the amount of fluid required.

my new fav snack or breakfast is banana with cottage cheese and some vanana yogurt from trader joe's, cinnamon and a sprinkle of dates. YUM!

What an awesome idea!!  I usually eat my bananas before they are even yellow then they go to my kiddo or the trash ~ I can't believe it took reading this to realize that yes (duh!) I can freeze bananas!!

I am with you - I'm a picky banana eater too!  However, I heard somewhere (and have done this a handful of times) once the banana gets to the point where you like it - stick it in the fridge.  The skin will turn brown (and you may get weird looks from co-workers) but the banana inside is just the right ripeness!

right on i am going to try this

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I use a banana every morning for my smoothie.  I saw this thread a couple days ago, so last night I tossed one into the freezer.  This morning I took out the banana, which could have been run over by a Hummer unscathed.  There was no way I was getting the peel off!  If only I'd seen this particular post beforehand...

There's a new food stand here in Austin called Bananarchy that sells chocolate-dipped bananas.  Tasty!!
www.bananarchy.net

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/banana-bag/F/keyword/banana/product/12159... />
I bought one of these and it's fantastic, the bananas have been great for the week between shops (works best on the top shelf of the fridge).  The insulation is just bubble wrap so you could try wrapping your bananas in bubble wrap and putting them in the fridge. Living here, in the summer, bananas don't last more then a few days so it's been great and saved me from swearing when I open the freezer door and solid bananas fall on my toes.

Just a tip about freezing bananas for smoothies, and this may be obvious to some but I don't think others have tried it

Peel the banana and slice it up BEFORE you freeze it. Throw the sliced banana pieces in a tupperware container in the freezer. Then you don't have to deal with a frozen peel (totally frustrating) and the smaller pieces are easy for your blender to work with.

oh duh, someone already pointed that out

Yeah, I also left the peel on.. That was messy and COLD (but dammit, I was getting in to that banana!). Will be pre-peeling from now on.

Seriously happy I read this thread. My smoothies have been so much yummier lately!

Please don't laugh, I have never made one so...what are the other ingredients for the banana smoothie?

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Oh man, just about anything.

First, decide what texture you want - more of a juice kind of drink, more creamy?

Next, figure out texture - icy, smooth, chunky?

Then, choose your tastes.

I used to make all different kinds of smoothies. Now, I stick mostly to the following:
1 c Stonyfield Farms Banilla yogurt (yes Banilla - tastes like 'nanas!)
1-2 tbsp "smooth" PB - I use Teddie's so it isn't completely smooth, but the super crunchy was getting a little too gritty
1 good sized banana, either fresh or frozen

I blend with a hand blender (sorta like this) until mixed. Then if I'm feeling like a treat, I add in either a dollop of chocolate syrup and give it a final whirl, or dump in a quarter cup of warmish milk (15 sec in microwave) with 1 packet caffeinated hot chocolate to give me a jolt of caf. That works best with the frozen 'nanas so it doesn't get yucky-warm.


Other recipes I've done include a handful of frozen blueberries, a banana, milk or yogurt, and PB. Mine almost always have a yogurt base. Using the frozen fruits instead of ice means it doesn't get watered down as it melts. I tried adding whey powder but somehow screwed it up and it tasted AWFUL! Gonna have to try that again. I've got several recipe books on smoothies - keep meaning to try the green tea ones, too. Seriously, just start chucking stuff into a blender that sounds like they should go together, and mix away. Eventually, you'll figure out what works and what doesn't!

omg frozen bananas eaten like a popsicle sounds like heaven...

too bad my tiny freezer can't even keep my icepack cold...

maybe I can hijack my coach's freezer...

How many days can you keep bananas in the freezer before they go bad?!