Can You Freeze Plantains?

Last updated on August 30th, 2022 at 04:37 am

Not to be confused with bananas, plantains are also a tropical fruit but are used differently in the culinary world. If you have several plantains stored away in your fridge and just know you won’t be able to eat them all before they go bad, can you freeze the plantains to eat later?

You can freeze plantains. Plantains usually last for about a week in the fridge but when frozen, plantains will last for several months in the freezer. For best results, choose the greenest palinatin you can to freeze.

Plantains look a lot like bananas. Actually they are almost identical. However, their taste is very different from the tropical fruit. So what are some of the differences between plantains and bananas? 

Here are some interesting facts about them:

1. Plantains are used in more savory dishes. Bananas are sweet to eat. 
2. Bananas grow on a tree and plantains grow low to the ground like a weed in a lawn.
3. Plantains are starchy and contain less sugar than bananas
4. Plantains are more vertalit in the cooking world than abansas.
5. Plants are usually cooked before eating. Abnasa are usually eaten raw.
6. Plantains are full of nutrients just like bananas are but instead of being eaten as a fruit, they are a great substitute for rice or potatoes.
7. Plantains aren’t as widely eaten as bananas are.
8. Paints can be green, yellow, or dark brown in color. Bananas are green when unripe, yellow when ripe, and brown the power it becomes.
9. Plants are larger than bananas with a thicker skin.
10. Both plantains and bananas have amazing health benefits but they are different types of fruit.

As you can see, plantains are a healthy and delicious food. Unlike bananas, you can only eat plantains once they are cooked. If you love to cook plantains, then you probably have some taking up room on your counter or in your fridge. You know that some foods can be preserved in the freezer. 

So, now, let’s dive into our question, can you freeze plantains? The answer to this is yes, you can freeze plantains! In the next section I will go into how you should freeze your plantains. 

How Do You Freeze Raw Plantains?

Plantains can be frozen to save them for later. This is great if you have a lot of plantains and don’t want them to go bad. But, they need to be frozen a certain way in order to keep them good. 

So, how do you freeze plantains?

You should freeze raw plantains by peeling and chopping the fruit. Then place them in airtight containers or freezer bags. Once they are in the bag, seal it up, label it with the current date, and freeze.

Freezing food is a great way to preserve it for later use. When you put food in the freezer, it stops oxidation. Oxidation is what causes the food to go bad. 

So, by freezing food, you can slow the process of it going bad and keep it good for longer. 

We already mentioned how you can freeze plantains but you should do so in a certain way to keep them good while they are stored in the freezer. So, how can you freeze raw plantains? 

Here are some steps to follow for freezing plantains correctly:

1. Peel the plantains and cut off the ends.
2. Slice, chop, or mash according to how you want to use them later on. (when mashing try adding some lemon juice so they don’t brown too much.)
3. Place the plantain in an airtight container or a freezer bag. (A freezer bag doesn’t take up as much room in the freezer.)
4. Remove as much air as possible and seal the container or bag.
5. Label the container or bag with the current date. (This helps you to know when you put them in the freezer and when you should use them.)
6. Freeze the plantings for up to a year. They will taste best when used within 3 months after freezing.

How Long Do Plantains Last In The Freezer?

While plantain can be frozen to use later, they only last for a certain amount of time before they will start to lose quality. Really, once they are put into the freezer, their quality will start to diminish. 

So, how long do plantains last in the freezer?

Plantains last for about 10 to 12 months in the freezer. Although they remain safe to eat past this point, they will have decreased in quality substantially. So, for the best quality plantains that have been preserved in the freezer, eat them within 10 to 12 months.

Usually you store plantains in the same way you store bananas. You can leave them out at room temperature. They turn ripe faster when stored in sunlight. Placing them in a brown paper bag speeds up the ripening process even more. 

But, if you don’t want them to get too ripe too fast, you can store them in the fridge. In the fridge, plantain lasts for about 3 to 4 weeks. If you want to keep them past this amount of time, freeze them! 

You should pick the greenest plants to freeze and ones that are perfectly packed in their peels. 

This means one without any cuts, bruises, blemishes, etc. You definitely don’t want to get any plants that have cracks or mold on them. So, picking out plants is pretty much like picking bananas. 

Plantains are best eaten within a few months after freezing. 

When you are ready to use the plantains you can cook them in several ways. They can be boiled, mashed, steamed, fried, grilled, or roasted. They can also be added to soups, stir-frys, and stews. You can thaw them before cooking if you want to but this isn’t necessary. 

Frozen plantains can also be cooked straight out of the freezer. This can preserve the fruit’s texture and it is also said that it could help cook them faster. It is recommended to eat plantains within 3 months after being frozen. But, they can last for 10 to 12 months when stored properly.

Final Thoughts

You can freeze plantains. This is easy and simple to do. When properly storied, they can last for weeks up to months. You can even cook the frozen fruit right away without defrosting them. 

So, if you have several plantains that you don’t want to ripen too quickly and go bad, freeze them!