Cool As A...Banana

I have heard many people say they freeze bananas

for future use in banana bread, etc., but I was never sure how to prepare the bananas for freezing. One woman told me she just puts the whole banana (peel and all) in the freezer and then thaws it later when ready to use. I am one who doesn't want to wait for the thaw. Therefore, we just peel the bananas, wrap each in plastic wrap, and then put them in a freezer bag for easy storage. Frozen bananas that have been prepared this way are easy to mash for banana bread, make the perfect frozen ingredient for a smoothie in the blender, or are in great as frozen popsicles in the summer. To serve this cold treat without a stick, just peel back the plastic and wrap a folded paper towel around the "handle" part. Cut in half, these banana popsicles were some of our children's favorite teething coolers.