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~ raw, dehydrated ~
I know this may be a silly posting but none-the-less, I am going for it! :) A few days ago while I was roaming the produce department at the grocery store, I spotted the produce man boxing up bananas.
I asked him if he was going to mark them down because they were so ripe. He said yes and asked if I was interested in some. He sold them to me for 29 cents a pound rather than they normal 89 cents a pound. He didn’t have to ask me twice.
Never be afraid to ask the produce workers if they have any overly ripe bananas that are being marked down. Even if you don’t see them on the sales floor. I do this every time I visit the grocery and have gotten some great deals.
Once I got home with them, I knew I needed to get them in the dehydrator right away since they were so ripe and I didn’t want an invasion of fruit flies. So, to break up the monotonous job of slicing up banana chips, I got creative (well sort-of) so I thought I would share…
Oh, one quick thing about dehydrating bananas… Make sure you dry ripe bananas. The skins ought to be freckled with brown spots, not to be confused with bruises. If the banana flesh as bruises on it cut those out before slicing. Not only are ripe bananas sweeter in flavor, they are easier to digest.
As I mentioned, use ripe bananas with brown freckles, don’t buy bananas that have a lot of black markings. Those are not “ripe” markings, nor are they bruises, it is usually an indicator that the bananas got too cold or were even close to being frozen. I have made this mistake before and bought them thinking they were ripe, instead they had mushy, slimy insides. When it comes to dehydrating, cut your bananas into the similar thicknesses so they all dry in the same time frame. Also, place the fresh banana pieces on the mesh sheet that comes with the dehydrator. This will allow the air to flow all around them, thus speeding up the dry time.
You are the one who controls the length of time that they need to spend in the dehydrator. I like mine soft and chewy so they stay in for about 16 hours. Bob likes them crispier so they might stay in for 24 hours or even longer, depending on how thick or thin I cut them. Dry them at 115 degrees (F).
We have all seen banana chips…
You might have even seen dehydrated bananas done this way…
Slice the banana lengthwise about 1/4″ thick.
But have you seen banana bits?
Slice the banana lengthwise into 4’s, then dice.
I had never dehydrated bananas cut into small cubes. But I thought they would be great to use in granolas, top your favorite cereal with them or tossed into a trail mix. Now, I know what you are thinking… Amie Sue, why would I do this when I can just throw in the normal dried banana chips? I know, I know, I normally do just that but so often I find banana chips to be just too big to scoop up with a spoonful of granola cereal or yogurt, thus, banana bits were born! This will allow for better dispersion of flavors in each bite. See what I am saying here? :) Thank you for entertaining me by reading this. hehe Blessings.
GREAT IDEA! I will definitely make these! Thank you!!
Can I dehydrate banana without using dehydrator? I have any and no space in the kitchen to store- thank you very much. Great article, foto’s and info!
You can dehydrate bananas with an outdoor dehydrator that is made from mesh screens, etc. You can google on how to make them. :) But then, you do need to live in warm weather to do this. :)
How long do they take to dry?
Can this be done with any fruit, like berries?
Do you need to “treat” them first?
Why ripe bananas?
Thanks!
Chris,
I had responded to your email regarding dehydrating fruit. Did you get that? I will answer these questions here though for others who might have the same questions:
Q ~ How long do they take to dry?
A ~ Depends on how much water in is the fruit and how thick you cut them. I would say roughly, 16+ hours. You will have to check on them and see how they are coming along.
Q ~ Can this be done with any fruit, like berries?
A ~ You can dehydrate about any fruit!! You can do berries but it is best to break the skin on them before doing so. I find berries tricky. I have done tons of raspberries but they came out pretty hard, so I ended up grinding them to a powder and used them in recipes. It was a neat personal discovery.
Q ~ Do you need to “treat” them first?
A ~ I don’t.
Q ~ Why ripe bananas?
A ~ You should always eat and dehydrate fruit when it is ripe because it is easier to digest them and they have had the time to naturally sweeten up and the nutrient level is better.
Perfect timing…yesterday I was contemplating what to do with a dozen beautifully ripe bananas. I’m just not in the mood for cold smoothies so I know they would end up in the trash within a few days ( I hate wasting food). I had tried saving them before for my sister to make banana bread but I just ended up with black bananas taking up fridge or freezer space.
Can’t wait for the chips to be ready tomorrow morning…yum
Well there ya go… sometimes the easiest of things are the most difficult to think of from time to time. hehe I have a bag of bananas in the freezer too and I fear that I need to do something with them before they get freezer burnt. I am thinking of making banana crepes with them… fancy was of saying wraps. hehe Have a blessed evening, amie sue
I got a deal on a case of organic bananas. I want to do more than just make banana chips. I was thinking I could try banana leather.
I was also wondering if I could make banana sauce, dehydrate that, and then grind into a powder for banana bread. Have you ever tried that? If so, any tips? When I dehydrate potatoes, I grind them into a powder, and it makes an awesome instant mashed potato mix that is so much better than the chemically loaded boxed kind in the store. So I was thinking I could try making a banana powder for baking. Thoughts?
Diane,
I am so embarrassed!!!!! This comment got lost in the shuffle and I never answered it. Please accept my apologies. I am sure that I am way to late to answer your questions but I will for the future.
Banana leathers are perfect to make when you have an abundance of bananas. I have a post on making them here on my site.
I can’t say that I have tried to make banana powder. Normally, my banana chips or leathers don’t get dry enough to do that, but I might have to try. Did you ever try this yourself. Let me know if so. Curious.
Again, I am sorry that it went unanswered for so long. Many blessings, amie sue
Thank you!! And hugs to u and your family.