Plantains are very versatile fruits. You can bake, fry, and even grill them. But how do you freeze plantains? Well, let me just say that it’s pretty easy. Let’s find out how to freeze plantains properly!
Plantains are originally from Southeast Asia and are used in different dishes in the Caribbean, Africa, and Latin America.
They are a perfect vegetarian main dish and a tasty snack. And the best thing is that they are satisfying, healthy, and easy to prepare.
It’s a delicious fruit, and good for you too! It’s a good source of energy, and as it is an excellent source of fiber, it can help prevent colon cancer.
There are many ways to use plantains, but it can be hard to stock up on them and use them later without knowing how to freeze them.
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About Plantains
Plantains look like regular bananas but are bigger, longer, and the peel is thicker.
They are starchier than bananas, have a high content of vitamin C, A, and vitamin B6. Also, magnesium, potassium, and are a good source of fiber.
It’s a tropical fruit that belongs to the banana family but has a higher starch content, making it more suitable for cooking.
In the United States, you can find plantains in almost any grocery store. They are typically sold green, although if you buy a lot of plantains, you may get one or two that are starting to turn yellow or brown.
They will be in the produce section with the other tropical fruits.
Like bananas, plantains begin to ripen as soon as they are picked from the tree.
To keep them longer, store at room temperature out of direct sunlight until they ripen (the peel will change from green to yellow or brown).
Plantains are cooked before eating, unlike bananas, which are eaten raw.
You can fry plantains or bake them in the oven and serve as a side dish.
If you have leftover plantains, they will keep well in the refrigerator for up to five days, but it’s best to freeze them if you have a large quantity.
The good news is you can freeze them either cooked or raw, and they will stay fresh and delicious for up to three months.
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Can You Freeze Plantains?
If you’ve purchased a few too many plantains at the store and have no idea what to do with them all before they go bad, fear not: you can freeze them!
How to Freeze Plantains?
You can freeze plantains in a few different ways.
First, you can just wrap the whole plantain in plastic wrap and put it in the freezer.
You can also freeze them peeled, whole, sliced or mashed.
How should you prepare your plantains for freezing?
To freeze plantains, you’ll need to peel them.
You can slice before freezing so that they’re ready to use.
Freeze them as is, or toss your sliced bananas in a teaspoon of lemon juice to avoid browning.
Remove the peels and cut them into slices. Next, place the slices onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Place the baking sheet in the freezer and leave them there until they are frozen solid, usually a couple of hours.
Once they are frozen, remove them from the baking sheet and place them into a freezer bag or airtight container.
It’s important to note that if you freeze green plantains, they won’t ripen once they are thawed out.
If you want to freeze ripe plantains, you will have to wait until they ripen before freezing them.
How To Freeze Green Plantains
You can freeze sliced or whole green plantains. Here is how you do it:
1. Get a sharp knife and cut the ends off the plantain.
2. Remove the skin from the plantain by pulling from top to bottom in one motion. Do this until all the skin has been removed.
3. If you want to freeze a sliced green plantain, cut the plantain into 1/2 inch slices and place it on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking oil.
4. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 1 hour to freeze the slices. This will keep them from sticking together when you place them in a freezer bag.
5. If you want to freeze the whole green plantain, just peel it off, put it in airtight plastic bags, remove excess air, and take it to the freezer.
How to Freeze Ripe Plantains
It’s easy to freeze your ripe black plantains for later use.
To freeze ripe plantains, follow these instructions:
1. Peel the plantain.
2. Chop it into halves, chunks, slices, or rounds. The smaller pieces you make, the faster they’ll thaw once frozen.
3. Place the plantain slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in a single layer without any overlapping. (You may need to use more than one baking sheet.)
4. Put the tray in the freezer for about two hours until the plantain pieces are frozen solid. This ensures that they won’t stick together when you transfer them to a freezer bag.
5. Once frozen, remove them from the freezer and place each piece in a freezer bag or air-tight container. Seal and label with the date.
How To Freeze Mashed Plantains
Mashed plantains are a great side dish to any main meal.
If you have any leftovers, you can freeze mashed plantains.
To freeze your leftover mashed plantains, place them in a freezer-safe container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When ready to eat them again, thaw the mashed plantains in the refrigerator overnight and then microwave until hot.
What to Make with Frozen Plantain
Plantains are a popular fruit throughout the tropics.
Unlike bananas, they’re usually cooked before eating because they are too hard to eat raw.
Plantains can be fried in hot oil, boiled, baked, or roasted to make plantain chips, porridge, or other dishes.
They can also be used as a substitute for potatoes as well as in sweet dishes and beverages.
Plantains can be cooked while they’re green, yellow, or even with black skin.
Green plantains have less sugar than ripe plantains.
They can be fried, boiled, or baked with this firmness, and their flavor is similar to a potato or slightly sweet yam.
As they ripen into golden brown plantains, they become sweeter and softer.
Black plantains are very ripe, so they’re very soft, sweet, and mushy. You can cook them fried in vegetable oil, baked or boiled.
FAQs About How to Freeze Plantains
As a general rule, you should keep your plantains, and other fruits frozen for up to three months.
But, if they are properly stored, they can last up to six months.
You do not need to thaw plantains before cooking them. When you want to use frozen plantain, simply unwrap and cook it without thawing.
The cooking time will not vary significantly from that of thawed plantains.
How to Freeze Plantains
Ingredients
- 2 Large plantains
Instructions
- Get a sharp knife and cut the ends off the plantain
- Remove the skin from the plantain by pulling from top to bottom in one motion. Do this until all the skin has been removed.
- If you want to freeze a sliced green plantain, cut the plantain into 1/2 inch slices and place it on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking oil.
- Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 1 hour to freeze the slices. This will keep them from sticking together when you place them in a freezer bag.
- If you want to freeze the whole green plantain, just peel it off, put it in airtight plastic bags, remove excess air, and take it to the freezer.
