Discover clever hacks and surprising facts starring this popular fruit.

Frozen Fun

Freeze peeled bananas in chunks for smoothies that don’t need ice. Blend frozen bananas alone for instant soft-serve “nice cream” — no ice cream maker required.

Potassium Champ

One medium banana contains about 422 milligrams of potassium, about 12% of your daily needs. Athletes love them for preventing muscle cramps, but the carb-to-potassium ratio makes them ideal post-workout fuel for anyone.

Comfort Food Favorite

Banana bread became popular in the 1930s when frugal home cooks refused to waste overripe fruit. Popularity surged again during pandemic lockdowns. Times of uncertainty apparently make us crave comforting, thrifty sweetness.

Ripening Domino Effect

Store bananas away from other fruits unless you want everything ripe at once. Their ethylene gas accelerates ripening in apples, avocados and tomatoes. Because of this, you can put a banana in a paper bag with a hard avocado for next-day guacamole.