If you froze them in a bag, I would discard the liquid. I put unpeeled bananas directly into the freezer with no bag. When I want to peel a frozen banana (to keep it frozen for a smoothie), I submerge it in hot water for a couple of minutes, and then I can peel it and still have a frozen center.

Did you peel the bananas before freezing? That is not necessary, and I never do that, although I did at one time in the past.

Thanks! Yes, I peeled them, then put them in bags in the quantity needed for one batch. I judge "by eye" once I see them unpeeled, adjusting if they are large or small bananas. I had not thought about freezing them unpeeled.

It's so much easier to freeze them unpeeled - you just throw them in the freezer and don't have to take the time to peel them, put in plastic bags, label them, etc. And they are easy to peel frozen if you put them in a shallow bowl of hot water for a few minutes. If you defrost them in the MW unpeeled, they become more of a mess.

you can also peel them, section them and freeze on a cookie sheet with parchment paper ... when frozen, transfer to zip bag.

Bragu, do they not produce the liquid when frozen that way?

well, I freeze ripe bananas not grossly overripe bananas ... so no, not really

It's still much less work to freeze them unpeeled.

This happens to me when I freeze grossly overripe bananas. I do peel them before freezing. The brown liquid isn't a nice sight, but I think of it as banana essence and use it. The bread comes out fine.

Grossly overripe bananas are rather liquidy anyway even when they aren't frozen and defrosted, and banana bread is pretty forgiving.

I also peel the bananas before freezing and don't usually drain the liquid either. Maybe that's why sometimes the bread comes out more dense than other times. It's always good though.

Lars, I used to freeze my bananas unpeeled, but decided that it was much easier to peel and then freeze! I usually break a banana in half before freezing which allows me to use one piece for a smoothie, for example, or get more precise when I'm using them in cooking.

I've used thawed frozen bananas for banana bread and other baked banana-y goods many times, and combined the excess liquid with the milk - or whatever other liquid is being used.

I peel and break the bananas into chunks before freezing.

I am revisiting this as I am defrosting frozen bananas right now for banana bread!

For those who mention using the liquid that results: do you adjust the liquid in the recipe then? For example, reduce the 1 cup of milk in the recipe by the amount of banana liquid?

Linnea, I might be tempted to use the 1 cup milk and the liquid. However, you could heat/reduce the liquid by maybe half, then add it to the mashed/puréed bananas. I've included the liquid from frozen bananas when making banana bread (though there wasn't much) with great results. Also, my banana bread doesn't include milk. The dairy products in it are butter and sour cream.

It should be fine either way. I like a lighter bread so I drain off the liquid, but if you prefer the more moist, dense bread, include it. Somewhere I read a recipe where they microwaved the bananas to get the liquid off. An alternative was to freeze, then separate the liquid. If I remember correctly, they boiled the drained liquid to half, this was to increase the banana flavor. I keep meaning to try that part of it, but always forget.

After the bananas defrosted in a colander over a bowl, I had about a cup of liquid.

I was wrong about the recipe calling for milk: the liquids are melted butter, the beaten eggs, and ½ cup of yogurt.

The batter was very stiff, so I added some of the liquid - about 1/3 cup - till it could absorb the rest of the flour.

It is in the oven now. So soon I will be able to tell if it is too moist.

Linnea, how did it work out?

To clarify what I wrote above, I do not adjust the liquid in the recipe, since that liquid was there in the bananas all along. It does not emerge out of thin air.

I always put unpeeled whole bananas in the freezer. When ready to use, thaw then hold the thawed banana over the mixing bowl, unpeel and let the banana and any liquid go into the mixing bowl. Much quicker than peeling, slicing, and freezing; it has worked for me for many years.

I peel and chunk mine because sometimes I want to put them in a smoothie. I still recall a friend who broke her blender trying to make a smoothie with whole frozen banana😄

I freeze mine usually when very ripe, since hubs will eat them still when fairly mushy. I thaw in a bowl in the microwave, slip off the skins and mash. No draining. I want as little handling of the uck as possible. They still turn out fine baked goods . . . at least that has been my experience.

Sometimes if the bananas are very ripe the liquid will develop an alcohol taste which might not go with what you are making.

chloebud, it was very good. Though I had not used all the liquid, it tasted essentially the same as it always has using fresh very ripe bananas. Next time I will just use all the liquid.

Tasting the brown liquid, it is extremely sweet. Much sweeter than you'd expect of just an overripe banana.