How to dry bananas at home: recommendations, recipes

Bananas are a fairly popular and quite affordable fruit, regardless of the season, and we often eat them in their original or fresh form. But today I offer you three ways to prepare dried bananas at home and please yourself and your loved ones with a healthy sweetness.

dry bananas in one of three options, depending on which one is convenient for you - in the material we will look at how to do this in the oven, in the microwave, and in an electric dryer or dehydrator for vegetables and fruits.

For this method of cooking, it is better to take bananas that are ripe, but not yet too soft, since we will need to cut them into slices. Try to make the pieces the same thickness so they will be ready at the same time. And from overripe fruits or “extra” pieces you can make oatmeal cookies with chocolate.

Useful tips

When choosing bananas for processing into chips, you should consider some nuances:

The fruits you want to dry should be ripe, but not overripe. This primarily means that there are no black or brown spots on the skin.
The peel should be a pleasant yellow color, and the banana flesh should be quite firm.
Once you have removed the peel and fruit strings from the bananas, cut them into small slices. Please note: slice as thin as possible.
Pre-treating banana slices with lemon juice will prevent the workpiece from darkening. To prevent the slices from turning black, dilute the juice of one lemon in a glass of water and soak the banana slices in the solution for five minutes.

Selection and preparation of bananas for drying

Fruits that are best suited for drying:

ripe or slightly unripe;
without mechanical damage or black spots;
with dense pulp.

When preparing raw materials for drying, they are thoroughly washed with water. Then peel and cut:

for chips - thin rings or plates;

for drying - large, small fruits are dried whole.

To prevent the sliced fruits from darkening, they are dipped in an aqueous solution of citric acid (2 tsp per 1 liter of water) for 30-40 seconds before drying.

How to dry bananas in the sun

First, we'll tell you how to make banana chips without using household appliances. Of course, this cheapest method is only available in the summer. And if the weather forecast promises several hot days, you can take advantage of the moment. Moreover, dried fruits dried in this way turn out to be especially aromatic and tasty.

Find a place that is as bright as possible, but at the same time protected from direct sunlight.
Place the sliced banana on the grill. To prevent dried bananas from falling out between the rods, place the wire rack on a baking sheet or any other suitable tray.
Don't forget to cover the banana slices with cheesecloth or other insect protection. If it is a mesh, then it should be fine mesh, since the fruit is especially attractive to fruit flies.
Be sure to bring the pallet into the house at night.
The drying time directly depends on the banana variety and weather conditions. Readiness can only be determined by testing. As a rule, the product is ready no earlier than three days.

FAQ. Questions and answers

What are the benefits of dried bananas?

They contain almost all the beneficial substances that are present in fresh bananas. In particular, these are vitamins A, PP, B, E, K, C, many minerals and beta-carotene. It has also been proven that dried bananas contain the “joy hormone”, and therefore they are able to understand the mood, help increase brain activity, and normalize the functioning of the heart and liver.

What are the calories in dried bananas?

In this case, the calorie content is higher than that of other dried fruits - as much as 346 kcal per 100 g of product.

When is the best time to use?

It is recommended to consume dried fruits in the first half of the day. So, together with oatmeal for breakfast, they will be an excellent source of energy and vigor for the whole day.

Why do dried bananas retain all their beneficial substances?

This is explained by the fact that during the drying process (usually) not very high temperatures are used and no preservatives are used.

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In the oven

Now about how to dry bananas in the oven.

Cover the baking trays with baking paper and place banana slices on top. To ensure they dry thoroughly, leave a small distance.
The oven temperature should be about 80°. There is no need to preheat the device.
Since bananas take several hours to dry (at least 2), prepare the raw materials for several baking sheets at once.
To ensure that all the moisture comes out without burning the slices, leave the oven slightly open. You can, for example, insert a cake spatula between the door and the wall of the oven.

If everything is done correctly, the chips can be stored for 2-3 months. Of course, provided that the storage container is airtight.

How to determine readiness

If you want to get dried slices, like candied fruits, then the bananas should remain soft. They are moist, chewy and slightly sticky. If you break such a piece, it will resemble toffee. But the pulp does not remain loose.

When the goal is to obtain crispy chips, the slices should be drier. They are hard to the touch. If you press on a piece, it will crumble in your hands.

When dried in the microwave, the pieces do not dry completely. They should be dried at room temperature for a few more hours. If the product is not completely dried, it will not be stored well and will quickly spoil.

And overdried bananas lose their properties. You should focus on your feelings.

How to dry bananas in the microwave

Of course, you can use the microwave to dry bananas. However, judging by the reviews, this is not the best solution. Firstly, because additional drying will be required using one of the listed methods. And, secondly, fruit dried in this way will lose a significant proportion of its nutrients.

First, place the banana slices in the microwave on full power (about two minutes).
Then open the device for five minutes and allow the moist air to escape.
Next, set your microwave to low power and let the fruit dry for 10 to 30 minutes.
After completing the process, do not open the door immediately - let the dried bananas cool for 5 minutes.
The slices prepared in this way should be placed on parchment paper for 2-3 hours to dry.

What to cook from dried bananas and how best to eat them

Dried bananas are often simply eaten instead of candy. They can also be used to decorate cakes and pastries and serve with ice cream.

Dried bananas are often used to prepare healthy and satisfying breakfasts, adding them to various cereals. They make compotes and make aromatic cocktails.

In all drying methods, the time may vary slightly, since each housewife cuts vegetables differently. Also, the technical parameters of the equipment used may be different. It is enough to simply check the quality at the end of the process. Do you have your own dehydration recipe? Can you share how to prepare delicious dishes with this aromatic dessert?

How to dry bananas in an electric dryer

To get the perfect product at home, it is best to use an electric dryer or dehydrator. Let’s say right away: the rules for drying in an automatic dehydrator and an electric dryer are absolutely identical. All you need to do is place the peeled and chopped fruits on the grates and turn on the device.

The duration of cooking in the dryer is determined experimentally: after 7 hours, taste the slices from time to time. Usually the whole process takes about 10 hours, but this largely depends on the thickness of the slices. Therefore, remember: the thinner the slice, the less time it will take to dry.

Shelf life of dried banana fruits

Usage time and recommended storage temperature depend on the location of the banana chips:

Place	Temperature, °C	Expiration date, months
Closet	+18-25	3
Fridge	+1-5	6
Freezer	-18	12

Sun-dried and dried fruits are a delicacy that preserves the vitamins and minerals present in fresh fruits. The simplest processing method is oven drying, the most effective is in an electric dryer.

How do you dry bananas? Share the article with your friends and acquaintances.

How to make banana chips

Real banana chips are crispy slices of slightly greenish fruit, deep fried. As for the specific recipe, there are a huge number of options. For example, you can read about fried bananas in our separate article. But keep in mind that from the point of view of benefits, fried foods are always inferior to dried and dried ones.

Now let's move on to how to make banana chips at home. Prepare the products:

bananas – 4 pieces;
peanut butter – 200 gr.;
cane sugar – 150 gr.;
cinnamon – 1 stick;
salt – 0.5 teaspoon;
water – 100 gr.

Then everything is simple:

Cut the peeled and fibered bananas into slices no more than 2 mm thick.
Fry in boiling oil on both sides.
Remove with a slotted spoon and dry on paper towels.
Prepare syrup from the above ingredients and cool it.
First, pour syrup over the cooled chips, and then drain it through a colander.
Place banana slices in syrup on a wire rack.

After the chips have hardened, they can be served.

What are the benefits of dried bananas?

Dried fruits are characterized by a high content of vitamins and microelements, which are preserved after processing. High nutritional value allows the product to be used as a snack between meals. A small portion of dried fruits is enough to get all the beneficial substances that have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the body's systems.

First of all, dried bananas are valued for their high potassium content. This mineral helps remove excess fluid from the body and has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the nervous and cardiovascular systems. A lack of potassium negatively affects the heart rate, swelling appears, and sleep is disturbed. Regular consumption of bananas will have a beneficial effect on your health.
Vitamin B6 contained in the product helps to establish the normal functioning of all systems in the body and has a beneficial effect on metabolic processes.
Everyone knows that bananas contain the substance serotonin. It is also called the “hormone of happiness.” Dried banana fruits also contain it. Eating such a treat can lift your spirits and help you cope with stressful situations.
Eating dried fruits has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the stomach and intestines. They are recommended to eat for ulcers, gastritis, and intestinal obstruction. The beneficial effect occurs due to the high content of dietary fiber.
Bananas are also rich in ascorbic acid, which helps boost immunity. High iron content helps fight anemia.
The use of such a product also has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin. It becomes cleaner, more elastic, and moisturized. By eating moderate amounts of dried fruits or replacing them with sweets, this delicacy also helps in weight loss.

But bananas can also have a negative effect on the body. Excessive consumption can lead to weight gain, as they are very high in calories and contain a lot of sugar. It should not be eaten by those who have problems with high sugar.

Peel

Drying the peel will also be useful. Dried skins are used:

as fertilizer for indoor plants;
as an additive for desserts (makes the aroma of bananas stronger);
to improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and lose weight.

The skins are dried according to the same principle as the pulp. To prevent spoilage of the product, the inner loose layer is removed from the peel.

A more useful product is obtained by drying it under the sun or in the oven at low temperatures.

Energy value

Calorie content (per 100 grams) of fresh fruit is 90 kcal. During drying, moisture evaporates and the concentration of sugars increases, due to which the energy value of the finished product increases to 500 kilocalories per 0.1 kg.

Note! The calorie content of store-bought products can be high due to the addition of sugars and glazing of fruits to extend shelf life.