I’m not a banana fan. They’re so pushy. They will smother every ingredient in a fruit salad — except for obnoxious cantaloupe. They leap from peanut butter sandwiches just to annoy you, and will slime-up a perfectly decent cream pie. Banana splits force unwanted nutrition upon purposefully decadent ice cream while sending the whipped cream slithering off the sides. The only time they co-operate is when mashed into submission and baked into a cake.
Perhaps I’d view bananas in a more charitable light if I lived where they grew, but I find little appeal in the hard chartreuse things found in grocery stores north of the 49th parallel. Bananas are tolerable if eaten when none-too-ripe, but they slip from a firm, warm yellow to slimy ebony so quickly it seems futile to buy them. And I hate to waste food. Since you can’t refrigerate the suckers, a bit of ingenuity is required if you wish to bank the ageing fruit for baking.
How to Freeze Bananas
If you don’t have time to make banana bread now, freeze them. Let the bananas ripen to the stage where they are heavily speckled with brown spots, but not totally black, before freezing them. You’ve got options.
The Easy Way: Toss the bananas whole and unpeeled in the freezer — in a freezer bag, of course. Once defrosted, they’ll basically self-mash when you peel them.
For Smoothies or Milkshakes: Peel and slice the bananas in rounds, then place on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Freeze until solid, about 2 hours, then transfer to a freezer bag.
Mashed & Measured: If, like me, you only use bananas for baking, mash them and portion into 1-cup measurements before freezing. You can store them in a freezer bag with the air squeezed out or place them in a 1-cup freezer-safe container.
Of course, label and date as you go. Bananas will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.
How to Defrost Bananas
You can leave the bananas to thaw at room temperature or use the defrost setting on the microwave. Timing varies with the size of the banana pieces.
the Best Banana Bread?
Everyone and their fifth cousin-once-removed has a banana bread recipe. Some have nuts. Some have chocolate chips. This one is just bananas. But I like this one best. It’s more a light cake than a hearty loaf, which may be part of the appeal. The butter and sugar keep the banana in check and give a gentle caramel undertone. One day I’ll try browning the butter to see if it adds anything, but in the meantime, this really doesn’t need any help. Not from nuts or chip or even browned butter. Despite my anti-banana stance, I gobble this light, moist dessert without a qualm.
Named for the woman who generously shared this recipe with me 30+ years go, here is the recipe. Drum roll, please, for Bev’s Best Banana Bread. Ask for it by name.
This banana bread is light, moist and not-too-sweet. Use overripe bananas for best results.
Scale
Ingredients
1 cup (250 mL) mashed very ripe bananas, about 2 medium 1 teaspoon (5 mL) baking soda 1 cup (220g) sugar 1 1/4 cup (175 g) all-purpose flour* 1/4 cup (30 g) cornstarch 1 teaspoon (5 mL) baking powder 1/2 cup (125 mL) butter 1large egg 2 tablespoons (30 mL) milk 1 teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease an 8-inch (20 cm) square metal baking pan OR line a standard 12-well muffin pan with liners.
In a small bowl, mix the bananas and baking soda together. Set aside. Don’t panic when the bananas become liquid; this is the intent.
In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cornstarch, and baking powder.
In a microwave-safe measuring cup, melt the butter in the microwave. (Alternatively, you can melt the butter on the stovetop in a small saucepan over medium-low.) Add the egg, milk, and vanilla and whisk to combine.
Pour butter mixture over the flour mixture and mix until smooth. Fold in the banana mixture. Pour batter into the prepared pan or spoon into muffin liners.
Bake in preheated oven until golden brown and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the centre comes out clean, about 35 to 45 minutes for the cake, 18 to 22 minutes for the muffins. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
Notes
* The original recipe called for cake & pastry flour, which produces a lighter more tender crumb. However, this type of flour causes a lot of confusion with non-Canadian readers since it lies somewhere between cake flour and pastry flour on the hardness scale. It’s a unique combination common in Canadian grocery stores, yet unheard of in other places. If you happen to have cake & pastry flour on hand, use 1 1/2 cups in place of the all-purpose flour and skip the cornstarch.
