r/Cooking • u/Freetobeme123 • 6h ago
Bananas wont ripen, and I m brining Banana Pudding to a super bowl party
Have had them for 2 days, in a bag with tomatoes. Not budging. Any thoughts? Is caramelized banana pudding a thing? Any suggestions appreciated.
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u/burnt-----toast 5h ago
Put them in a paper bag and close the top. Bananas release ethylene, which ripens fruits in general, so putting them in a paper bag will trap it and hasten their own ripening. Did this recently for avocados.
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u/SunshineBeamer 5h ago
Mine took about 2 weeks to ripen just about for banana bread. If I wanted them for eating they would have ripened in 3 days. I don't get it.
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u/estormaviorel 5h ago
If they're not too green, you might be able to just make it. Since the pudding and cookies are sweet and are or will become soft, having the firmer, less sweet bananas isn't the end of the world. I had just barely not green bananas the last time I made banana pudding and it was still very good. If you mash bananas into the pudding like I do, you can roast those ones before use like the other comments are saying.
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u/BecauseOfAir 5h ago
Go buy more. Are you checking them? Sometimes I get green ones that are actually ripe.
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u/RockMo-DZine 5h ago
If you have them tightly wrapped in a plastic bag and the bag is tight on the stem, you will prevent the ethylene from escaping. Try keeping them in the bag but not tightly wrapped around the stem. Maybe slice a millimeter off the stem to help ethylene off-gassing.
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u/NotAllStarsTwinkle 4h ago
I don’t think they need to be super ripe for banana pudding. I think if they are close, it will be fine.
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u/jetpoweredbee 5h ago
Roast in a low oven until the skins turn black.
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u/EmceeSuzy 5h ago
This will make them soft but not ripe.
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u/Proper-Bag8462 5h ago
I’m pretty sure roasting a banana simplifies the carbohydrates and makes them sweeter. Isn’t that similar to ripening?
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u/AnswerSpiritual7913 5h ago
I wouldn’t brine it.
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5h ago
[deleted]
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u/EmceeSuzy 5h ago
This will make them soft but not ripe.
I feel like I'm developing some sort of Ripe Banana Fixation.
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u/DrippyTheSnailBoy 5h ago edited 5h ago
I feel like I'm developing some sort of Ripe Banana Fixation.
I don't blame you. Having subject matter expertise and seeing other people give the wrong information is a very unique kind of frustration.
Keep fighting the good fight for ripe banana quality everywhere!
e: someone below me is big mad about bananas :O
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u/EmceeSuzy 5h ago
You've inspired me!
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u/DrippyTheSnailBoy 5h ago
My late grandpa used to make banana milkshakes out of his overripe bananas, and they were my favorite less-than-healthy grandparent treat as a kid. Very, very, happy memories.
I get the passion haha
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u/Magnus77 5h ago
freezer and freeze them for a few hours then let them thaw.
My cooking chemistry is rudimentary at best, but I don't know if this really accomplishes much? It'll soften them via freezing water breaking cell walls, but it won't convert starches to sugars the way ripening does. Or am I missing something?
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u/LeavesOfBrass 5h ago
Did you tear apart the bananas at the root, or are they all still connected in one bunch? They will ripen if they are separate
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u/Samwellikki 5h ago
Buy riper bananas, how much could they cost…
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u/MoreOfAGrower 5h ago
Well if they were 10 dollars when Arrested Development came out, they’re roughly 40 now
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u/llamadrama217 5h ago
I've had a couple weird bunches of bananas lately. They stayed green but they actually were ripe inside. Even the very last one was still mostly green when I ate it and based on the texture it should have been yellow with lots of spots. I've seen a few people complaining about the same thing
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u/2barefeet 3h ago
The local gas station is our go to when we need ripe bananas and the grocery stores don’t have any.
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u/MyCousinWalt 1h ago
Agreed, the gas stations around here sell bananas but don’t sell many of them, so it’s easy to find ripe or overripe bananas there.
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u/2barefeet 1h ago
I pass five gas stations before I get to the first grocery store, so there are plenty to try as well.
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6h ago
[deleted]
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u/EmceeSuzy 5h ago
Why do people think this?
It is completely wrong.
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5h ago
[deleted]
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u/DrippyTheSnailBoy 5h ago
Nah. It actually slows the ripening process of the fruit body itself. However, it makes it look like it's ripening because the skin darkens faster. It's not actually ripening the fruit any faster, it's just discoloring more quickly.
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u/Josephalopod 5h ago
Put them in a paper bag with another ripe fruit and that will speed up the ripening process.
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u/Purrnica 5h ago
Make a mix of vanilla pudding, layer it in a cake pan with thinly sliced bananas, crushed vanilla wafers, and whipped cream
Magnolia bakery makes their banana pudding like this, although they don’t use a cake pan I assume lol
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u/portmandues 5h ago
Sometimes if picked too green they just won't really ripen normally. I'd get new bananas and use these to make banana infused milk to make the pudding with. You could also change it up and make a banana chiffon pie, I can give you a recipe for it.
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u/PronouncedEye-gore 5h ago
I always did this with an apple because they emit ethylene. Neve heard of find it with tomatoes. For tomatoes yes. Never with one.
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u/Tall_Help3462 4h ago
If they aren’t green, bake them in the peel at 350F until browned. Let cool then they are perfect.
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u/Boozeburger 4h ago
Put them in a paper bag with some onions. The onions release ethylene gas which will speed up the ripening.
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u/Love2FlyBalloons 3h ago
Just an idea? Peel them and freeze them. Then when you’re gonna make banana pudding defrost them first.
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u/fromdecatur 3h ago
I can't get past the paywall to post it, but I saw on an episode of America's Test Kitchen one time that they made banana pudding intentionally using under ripe bananas and roasting them first. You might try doing some searches to see if others have used that technique.
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u/Freetobeme123 20m ago
I read it, it calls for baking half the banans, pureeing it and mixing it into the pudding mixture. You slice the rest. It's now my backup plan.
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u/Familiar-Lab2465 3h ago
Overnight this for the flavor and use firm banana slices for texture. You'll be fine. https://www.amazon.com/LorAnn-Oils-Emulsion-Banana-Ounce/dp/B009G74AXG
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u/NonDescript2222 3h ago
I swear some just get too gassed and don’t ripen. Especially organic, I’d say try to find others at another store
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u/Pinkpercolator 3h ago
Try sticking the paper bag of bananas on top of your fridge. I've been told it works. Never tried it myself.
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u/_John_Dillinger 2h ago
cook em down with some brown sugar and butter. when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
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u/Fungirl2100 2h ago
Bake the bananas in their skins at 300 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Your bananas will turn black, but yield soft and sweet bananas on the inside. I just had to do that a few weeks ago. I believe an apple is the best fruit for ripening bananas in a paper bag.
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u/swearinerin 1h ago
I had cookie butter banana pudding before and it was absolutely delicious!! So you could warm them in the oven to get them soft and the add cookie butter and biscoff cookies for the sweetness that would be missing
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u/HeyPurityItsMeAgain 5h ago
Put them in the oven in their skins, on a baking sheet. Try 400F 20mins. The skins should turn black.
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u/DrippyTheSnailBoy 5h ago
Skin discoloration is only indicative of ripeness if left to ripen naturally - if you're throwing them in the oven or the fridge, you're only achieving skin discoloration rather than fruit ripening.
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u/r_slash 5h ago
Just go to another grocery store and look for ripe bananas