Mashed bananas are a great way to add sweetness and creaminess to tons of recipes. Smoothies, sweet potato banana pancakes, and banana bread recipes are some examples.
So, have you ever wondered how to mash bananas properly to use them in these recipes? If so, I can help!
Let’s jump right in our article to discover the step-by-step banana-mashing methods.
How To Mash Bananas – 3 Simple Ways
Before diving into the mashing process, let’s start with a simple question: how many bananas are enough to make the banana mash? Or, in detail, how many bananas is in a cup of mashed bananas?
Usually, it takes about three medium-sized ripe bananas to produce 1 cup of mashed. For example, if your favorite recipe requires 2 cups of mashed bananas as the wet ingredients, you can use either four large ripe bananas or five small ones to make the mash.
Method 1: Use A Blender Or Food Processor
Using a blender or food processor has always been the best method on how to puree bananas, especially if you intend to use mashed bananas as baby food.
Follow this method, and you will have a smooth banana puree in minutes. Here, let us show you how.
- Step 1: Wash the bananas.
Pick the ripe bananas and wash them with clean water. You can also use a water-vinegar mixture with a ratio of 3-1 since this helps to remove bacteria more effectively.
Then, rinse the bananas under cool running water and dry them before peeling.
- Step 2: Peel and slice the bananas into small banana pieces.
Take off the entire banana peel from the banana and remove the banana “string” if you intend to mashing bananas for baby.
After that, remove both ends of the banana tips before cutting the bananas into small chunks or pieces.
- Step 3: Puree the bananas with a blender or food processor.
Place the banana pieces into the food processor or blender. You can add water or sour cream to the bananas and blend them until the banana pulp reaches the consistency you prefer.
Besides, if you are making banana for babies, add breast milk or formula milk rather than water to the mashed bananas. This way, you will have a healthier banana puree for babies.
Method 2: Use A Potato Masher
In case you have soft and overripe bananas, it would be best to use a potato masher to mash them. So how can you do that? Let’s check out the step-by-step instructions in the following part.
- Step 1: Wash the ripe bananas.
Clean the bananas under running water to remove the dirt on their peel. You can also use the water-vinegar mixture with a ratio of 3-1 before rinsing with water to discard bacteria more effectively.
A note here is to wash the bananas gently as they are vulnerable because of their squishy texture.
- Step 2: Peel and cut the banana in half.
Remove the banana peel from the banana and even the “string” if you intend to make puree for babies.
Then, take the rotten parts and both ends of the banana tips away before slicing the banana in half.
- Step 3: Press the banana using a potato masher.
Toss the peeled banana slices into a medium mixing bowl, and use a wave-shaped potato masher as a banana masher to smash banana. Stop the mashing process as soon as the mashed banana reaches the consistency you prefer.
Bonus tip: if you want to add a bit of flavor to the smashed banana, add a sprinkle of cinnamon when smashing them. And if you want to make the mash runnier, add a little water or apple juice when mashing.
Method 3: Use A Fork Or A Spoon
What if you don’t have either a food processor or a potato masher? How to mash bananas in this case? If this happens, let’s take advantage of the fork or the spoon in your kitchen. Here is how to make a banana mash recipe using these tools.
- Step 1: Wash the bananas.
Clean the bananas under running water to remove the dirt and bacteria on their peel.
If your bananas are overripe, be gentle when cleaning them, as they can get damaged easily due to their super soft texture.
- Step 2: Take the fleshes out of the banana peel and mash them.
First, cut the bananas in half, then take the fleshes out and place them in a mixing bowl. After that, frequently mash bananas for 15-20 minutes or until the puree reaches the creamy texture you need for your dishes, such as your favorite banana bread.
If you want to have a closer look at the banana-mashing technique, check out this video tutorial on how to mash a banana using a fork.
Frequently Asked Questions
How To Know If The Bananas Are Ripe Enough To Use?
When you notice the bananas have a nice yellow color, a few brown spots, and a slightly soft texture, then they might be ripe enough to eat, but you should probably wait.
It would be best to pick the riper bananas if you want to use them for banana bread or a smoothie for maximum sweetness.
How To Avoid Browning While Mashing The Bananas?
One of the biggest problems when making banana purée is that ripe banana turns brown so quickly. Here is an easy way to fix this issue.
You can add a few drops of citrus juice, such as lemon juice, orange juice, or pineapple juice. However, use as little as possible because overusing these liquids can change the flavor of the purée.
What Serves Well With Banana Puree?
If you are a banana fan, then maybe the banana purée is delicious plain. However, its flavor can go much further if you mix them with other ingredients too.
For instance, you can enjoy banana mash with fresh fruit or different types of yogurt, such as Greek yogurt or plain yogurt.
How To Store The Leftover Banana Purée?
The first method is to keep your mashed banana in plastic containers and refrigerate it right after they are prepared. This way, your mashed banana will stay fresh for up to three days.
If you want to keep it longer, you can leave the mashed bananas in an airtight container and freeze it. Frozen bananas can last for up to 3 months.
Note: your mashed banana might go brown quickly during the storage process, but this does not mean that it is inedible.
Wrapping Up
We hope that throughout this article, you will know how to mash bananas properly for your recipes.
Among the three mentioned methods, which do you think is the best way to mash bananas? Or do you know any other method for mashing bananas for banana bread and other baking recipes like banana muffins or brown sugar banana cakes?
Please let us know through the comment box below because we always love to hear more from you.
