Ripen A Banana In Minutes By Putting It In The Air Fryer
Whether you're whipping up a loaf of banana bread or just need a snack, it can be annoying to grab that bunch of bananas and find them still greenish and tough. Don't put off your baking to another day or find something else to eat. All you'll need to enjoy perfectly ripened bananas is a few minutes and your handy air fryer.
Many have likely heard about tricks to speed up banana ripening, one of the most common of which is baking them in the oven at a low temperature. Luckily, your air fryer can accomplish this even faster. Set the device to 300 degrees Fahrenheit, and add your bananas after it's preheated. To transform slightly underripe bananas to ultrasoft, blackened versions ready to be mashed, leave them in for eight to 10 minutes. Reduce this time if you're not looking for as soft a result. After about 10 minutes of cooling, they're ready to use. You can also line your air fryer with foil or parchment paper first for easier cleanup.
How and why it works
There's no doubt this is one of the best tricks to make bananas ripen faster, all of which rely on the same principle in different ways. These methods work because, over time, picked bananas produce ethylene gas, which helps them ripen. The production of this gas speeds up dramatically when bananas are heated, like in an oven, microwave, air fryer, or even just sitting on top of the fridge. However, air fryers are faster than using an oven and offer more precise temperature control and more even heating than microwaves.
Still, those who need to ripen a lot of bananas should remember air fryers work best with food in a single layer with room for air to circulate around it. Avoid the temptation to overcrowd the tray. Ripen the bananas in batches instead, or opt for other methods if this isn't practical timewise.
While many might use this trick to create bananas with the perfect consistency for banana bread, there are other delicious and unexpected ways you can use overripe bananas worth trying, too.