You've Been Mashing Bananas Wrong This Whole Time
You may think that bananas are only good for snacking on or in baked goods, but bananas are quite versatile. They can be incorporated into pancakes, made into banana vinegar, and even turned into banana ketchup. However, one dessert that is sure to make people go bananas is banana bread.
Banana bread is an American staple, dating back to the 18th century, according to Jamie Geller, though some claim people were eating the stuff in the 17th century. However, it wasn't until the 1930s, with the introduction of baking soda, that banana bread— and, thus, mashed bananas — exploded in popularity (via King Arthur Baking). Although making banana bread may seem like a simple dessert with a simple baking process, little mistakes can make or break your banana bread.
Whether you're whipping up banana bread or banana muffins, mashing bananas is a key step. Some may simply use a fork to mash bananas in a bowl. But, there is a hack that can make mashing bananas a little easier.
Use a flat surface to mash bananas
Move over mixing bowl, there is a simpler way to mash bananas. One TikTok user shared a baking hack for when you need to use your overripe bananas. When it's time to mash bananas, most people tend to do it in a mixing bowl used before adding in the other ingredients. But the process can be quite cumbersome and time-consuming.
In the video, user Feel Good Foodie shares a recipe for banana bread muffins with chopped walnuts. While the muffins may be the star of the video, this mashing hack caught our eyes. Instead of mashing the bananas in a bowl, Feel Good Foodie mashed them on a cutting board. "It's seriously so much faster than using a bowl," Feel Good Foodie remarked. This hack isn't restricted to just bananas. One user commented that this mashing tip also can be used for avocados.
Feel Good Foodie isn't the only person raving about this insightful hack. In fact, the TikToker was inspired by user @acozykitchen for the mashing trick. In the video, the user, also known as Adrianna Adarme is making banana chocolate chip cookies. Adarme said mashing bananas on a flat surface instead in a bowl speeds up the baking process.
Other banana hacks
If you're fond of keeping all your ingredients in one bowl (or don't want to dirty any additional cooking utensils), there are other useful hacks when it comes to mashing bananas. Almost Practical suggests using a potato masher to mash your bananas, recommending using a "wavy" potato masher.
If you don't have a potato masher laying around, you can mash your bananas in a food processor. Per Almost Practical, this method works best with firm bananas, not overripe bananas. Simply cut your bananas into small chunks, place them in the food processor, and give them a whirl. The website advises avoiding using a blender as it can liquify the bananas.
There's nothing better to elevate your banana bread than overripe bananas. In fact, as bananas ripen, their starches convert into sugar, per Living on Cookies. This is why overripe bananas are used in desserts as they tend to be sweeter at this stage. If you're craving banana bread or muffins but are feeling impatient to wait for your bananas to ripen, there are tricks to quickly ripen up bananas.
Despite not being a huge fan of bananas, chef and TV personality Ree Drummond has some tips to fasten bananas' ripening process, per The Pioneer Woman. You can heat up bananas in the oven or microwave to soften them up to be used for baking. Simply heat unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet in the oven until the skins turn black or in the microwave for 30 seconds.