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How Brown Can Bananas Be For Banana Bread
The best bananas for banana bread are not yellow, they are usually black. If they are too black then you should need to be discarded them instead of using them. By using wax paper, you can also remove the spotted part of bananas otherwise they may not be effective for the banana bread.
This is the banana method to make your bananas grow bananas, not actually grow, although this makes them softer and easier to bake. To ripen bananas in the oven, roast them in a 350degF oven for 30-40 minutes, until they are deep-black and tender to the touch. I allow the bananas to ripen on the kitchen counter until almost fully brown. Baking works best when the bananas are not fully green, but rather are starting to turn ripe.
If your bananas have been sitting this long, sniff them just before baking to be sure that they are not starting to spoil. For the baked goods, when you want that banana flavour to come through, wait until your bananas are completely covered in brown spots and smell really aromatic. When it comes to baking with bananas, a soft, overripe banana that has the skin covered with brown spots is the one you will want, as the soft ones are sweeter and more intensely banana-flavored.
| How to bake bananas | |
| To ripen bananas in the oven | Roast them in a 350degF oven for 30-40 minutes |
| To make the baked goods | Place unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and roast them in the 300F oven until shiny and dark brown (15-30 minutes) |
For baking, you need sweetness from a overripe banana — that means it is going to be super yellow with some brown spots on it, and will have that softness. Overripe bananas are also a lot sweeter, and this makes all the difference in how the baked goods will taste. As the bananas get older, they get ever sweeter, and this sugar can be used to boost the flavours in baked goods. This is because the brown bananas have gone through a stage in the process of ripening enough that their starch has converted into sugar, enhancing the flavour while also keeping any rubbery or starchy texture from adversely impacting your baked goods.
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It does not matter whether your bananas are frozen or at room temperature–as long as there is enough of that banana starch converted into sugar, you are ready to make banana bread. Although the bananas will go from yellow with brown spots to black, they are still tasty and good to bake after turning black. Bananas can turn from yellow with brown spots to completely black, and still be good for eating and using in baking.
Bananas that are basically turned black are still OK to use, and are actually preferred by some bakers. Bananas may turn more ripe than expected when using them for making banana bread, so some bakers prefer bananas that are already turned black.
Bananas should have some light russet or black spots, and have some green on the stalks. Black bananas should be at least lightly streaked brown, and with some green left on the stems. If you use green bananas, they will blacken as well and get softer, but you will not get them ripe enough for that sweet flavor that makes for a truly great banana loaf or banana cupcake. I find that bananas are at their best for baking when they are covered in big, brown spots, and their stems are browned.
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At our house, we only eat yellow bananas that have hardly any brown spots. These bananas still smell banana-y, they have not got any/lot of brown or black spots, and they are certainly not moldy.
I simply threw our bananas straight in the freezer, whole, still in the skin. I put the bananas in one layer to keep them from sticking and press out all of the air from the freeze bag. Well, normally, I leave our bananas sitting on the counter until they are covered with spots and attract fruit flies, and then take two seconds to throw them into the freezer. Once your bananas are cold, you can freeze them as well for smoothies (because smoothies are better with ripe bananas!).
You can also use a mixer to crush bananas, but I like to keep things simple and avoid getting the mixer involved with my best banana bread recipes. Mix ingredients carefully; I used my mixer for the creaming of the butter and sugar, and incorporating the eggs, but for the banana-flour mix, I used a wooden spoon and mixed it lightly until it all came together. Whisk melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla into the bananas until blended.
To make the baked goods, place unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and roast them in the 300F oven until shiny and dark brown (15-30 minutes). Allow the bananas to ripen at room temperature for up to eight weeks if you would like your bananas to have that perfect black-all-over-the-skin look. Even black bananas that have been allowed to ripen longer than 8 weeks are fine, provided there is not any mold on them or if they do not smell bad.
It does not matter how mild inside and black they are at the skin, if there is no mold growing on your banana, you can just as easily use a banana in your bread. If the flesh is brown in color and is extremely mushy, then the banana has gone bad and should not be used. If it is also soft and pale brown, or darker on the inside, then it is too overripe to be eaten plain; it may, however, be used in baked goods, banana bread, or smoothies. Bottom Line= In banana breads and banana cakes–or even banana cookies–a really ripe banana needs to have very strong flavors–almost completely dark–so that it produces that smooth, banana-y taste.
If you are looking for a “peel-and-go” snack, or if you are looking to cut one up to put on top of cereal, reach for a banana that is bright yellow and has a minimum of brown spots. A banana that is ripe will have yellow peel covered with brown spots, will smell sweet like a banana, and have a texture similar to that of a ripe avocado.
You will get varying flavors and textures when softer, moremushy, brown bananas reach full ripeness. We are talking about ripe enough where bananas are starting to develop brown spots on their skins. In fact, completely ripe bananas are actually more flavourful and nutrient-dense than their greener counterparts.
While ripe bananas might not really seem that appealing — the fruit turns watery, while the banana skin can become black or brown — they are really beneficial to our health. An overripe banana, which is not suitable for raw consumption or cooking, will be completely brown or will have black bruising, and it will smell sour or alcohol-like, or it will have a trashy odor. A banana that is not quite as well-ripened, however, may have been infected by moulds and should be discarded.
How ripe should bananas be for banana cake?
A banana that is ideal for baking into a banana cake is not at the same stage of ripening as one that is ideal for eating. A highly yellow banana with a few brown spots and a soft texture will be overripe, which is what you want for baking.
Can you use fully brown bananas?
Bananas that are a dark, almost black color appear, well, disgusting. However, those brown beasts really contain more antioxidants than their younger, prettier brethren, despite the fact that they may look unappealing in the fruit bowl. They are suitable for baking and safe to eat as long as there is no oozing or mold.
Can overripe bananas make you sick?
A banana that has turned brown due to overripeness is unlikely to make you sick. However, if a banana starts to mold, leaks liquid, or has an unpleasant odor, it has probably begun to rot and is no longer safe to eat.