Dehydrating Bananas. How to keep them from going brown?

[survive]

Hi Guys

Amateur at dehydrating here!

Just wondering if there is a tip to keep bananas from going brown when dehydrating them as banana chip?

Any tips would be most welcome. Thanks!

[death2uniform]

Lemon juice should do the trick.

[Southpaw_soldier]

I know with some fruits, like apples, adding a bit of an acid like lemon, lime or orange juice after cutting prevents browning. Not sure how it would work with bananas, or when you're dehydrating them. Try it and see.

[crazy]

Originally Posted by death2uniform

Lemon juice should do the trick.

I third the lemon juice.

[SgtBooker44]

The "dried" bananas you buy in the store aren't really dried. They are deep fried in I think coconut oil. Check the label on the bulk bin.

[FarmerJohn]

4th the lemon juice

[LiftRanger]

5th the lemon juice....or, get some "Fruit Fresh."

[survive]

Thanks guys,

Appreciate the info!

[MikeK]

Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in water. You can buy it anywhere they sell canning supplies.

Also, bananas can lose their sweetness when they dry. Most of the commercially dried bananas have had a sugar syrup applied to help enhance that.

[Southpaw_soldier]

Hrm. Mike, you reminded me of a bit of food chemistry. Sugar is rediculously hydroscopic. That's why so many fruit and foods were preserved as candy, and why honey makes a wonderful first aid tool for lacerations; sugar absorbs water, aiding clotting, and making it harder for bacteria to survive. Instead of trying to dehydrate your bananas like you would jerky, survive, why not try coating with sugar, white or brown, and baking at just high enough heat to carmelize the sugar, forming a antibacterial crust? NTM darned tasty. Kind of like a mini-"bananas foster" thing.

[gp100fan]

Lemon juice will also help keep apples and avacados from Browning when putting out a fruit tray or garnish for tacos.

[caltrop]

Fruit Fresh where the canning supplies are. It is basically Vitamin C.

Blanching. A quick dip in boiling water.

I don't use commercial Lemon Juice. It has Sulphites in it like modern wine does. I'm allergic to many Sulphur based chemicals.

That and I like my Banana's without the Lemon flavor.

Anyway the last batch I did I did not get enough Fruit Fresh on them and they turned brown. They still taste like Banana's.

[survive]

If lemon juice works then citric acid (mixed with water) ought to work as well, shouldn't it?

[NiteFly22LR]

I use pinapple juice Buy the small cans and dip them and when your through drink the pineapple juice. I ue it on apples also, works good for me.

[dylanM]

Dip them in sprite , 7up, fresca. Any "white" citric acid soda pop is what i use. Drop them in till the bowl of pop is full them dredge them out & place on trays. Useing pop does not effect the flavor of the bananas.

[LiftRanger]

Try a can of White Krylon............

[keeber]

It also helps great big bunches if you use a really nice stainless steel knife. I don't add any lemon juice to my bananas and they turn out fine.

[K2user]

Originally Posted by keeber

It also helps great big bunches if you use a really nice stainless steel knife. I don't add any lemon juice to my bananas and they turn out fine.

Or a plastic lettuce knife. It is a special (although cheap) knife that doesn't turn the edges of lettuce brown when you are chopping it.

[wyldflwr]

spray or mist with lemon juice before you dehydrate them.

[hopandskip]

To Keeber...your bananas you say turn out fine and we are so excited to hear it. If the Just Fruits company can do it we know we can too. They don't add anything and we don't want to either. Ours are turning brown...we've done it at low temp and a higher temp. What temp do you do yours?

Do you think the sharp knife makes a difference as to whether they turn brown?

Thanks for your response!

Hopandskip