Frozen banana hack to prevent browning divides internet: Does it work?

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If you’re tired of having bananas ripen too soon, there’s a hack that can help you make these fruit last longer.

Health food and lifestyle blogger Bethany Ugarte shared a video of herself freezing a whole banana to her Lilsipper TikTok account, and the clip quickly went viral garnering more than 448,800 views.

According to Ugarte, freezing bananas with the peel on helps to prevent browning and freezer burn on the edible part of the fruit.

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"This hack works every time! I’ve been doing it for years," Ugarte told Fox News. "You can literally store them for a month and they’re good as new."

Other perks Ugarte says people can get from freezing bananas in their peel include not wasting plastic bags, keeping the fruit sanitary with fewer chances of contamination and saving time on food prep, including smoothie making.

When getting ready to eat the bananas, Ugarte recommends using hot water to thaw the fruit. It can then be sliced in half and peeled.

Fresh bananas can be frozen to extend the longevity of the fruit, health food and lifestyle blogger Bethany Ugarte tells Fox News. (Cortney Moore / Fox News)

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While the peel notably darkens when frozen, the inside of the banana should be free of brown marks.

Bananas that are frozen whole experience darkening on the peel, but not on the inside of the fruit, Fox News found when testing out Bethany Ugarte's viral hack. (Cortney Moore / Fox News)

TikTok commenters were divided about Ugarte’s banana hack with some users preferring to remove the peel before freezing or choosing to not freeze bananas at all. Others shared that they’ve tested the method Ugarte uses and have found success. 

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"I do this all [the] time but use them for banana bread," one user wrote.

"I do this for my shakes in the morning," another commenter shared. "Instead of running it under hot water. I put it in the microwave for 15 sec then flip it and put it in for 10."

"The hot water tip," one TikTok user remarked. "I always just freeze my fingers off chipping away with peel."

Bethany Ugarte recommends running hot water over a frozen banana to make slicing easier. She tells Fox News there are a list of benefits to freezing bananas, including longer-lasting fruit and easier smoothie prep. (Cortney Moore / Fox News)

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The USDA’s FoodKeeper App states frozen bananas can be stored for longer than one month. According to the app, bananas can be safely kept in a freezer for two to three months from the date of purchase. Refrigeration should only be done three days from the date of purchase.