Dehydrating Bananas

Freshly sliced bananas

I hate to waste anything and I often find myself with bananas that are getting ripe faster than I can eat them. I freeze them often but I actually like to dry some and use them later in baking and cooking or as a snack. Dried bananas are not to be confused with banana chips. The crunchy banana chips are actually fried to get their crunchy texture. Home dried bananas will have the same texture as other dried fruits, soft, pliable and a little chewy.

They are really easy to make. Just peel and slice your bananas and dip in a solution to prevent darkening. You can use citric acid, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) or lemon juice combined with a little water. Some people don’t bother with this step. Frankly I do it, but with or without treatment your bananas will darken a bit. Place on an oiled dehydrator tray and dry until pliable. This can take several hours. I normally place them in the dehydrator overnight. You can leave them in long enough to get crisper, if you like. I just prefer them softer.

Same bananas a few hours later