How to Peel a Banana

Bananas are just as famous for their ease of use as they are for their nutritional value. They can be eaten raw, dried, fried, baked, boiled, or steamed. Unpeeled bananas are especially easy to store and carry around compared to other fruits since they do not require refrigeration, and the skin prevents them from being damaged easily. However, even though bananas are easy to carry around, the skin can be a real hassle to peel, and learning how to peel a banana could avoid those situations.

The texture of the banana skin makes it difficult for many people to peel the banana. Banana peeling methods range from picking at one small strand, pulling off chunks, or taking a knife and running it along the skin. If you are a novice to peeling bananas, start by peeling under-ripe bananas as they have firm skin and will give you more control over the peel.

The most convenient way to peel a banana is from its “handle.” However, when you’re peeling overripe or even ripe bananas, you might find that the top of the banana gets smushed when you peel it in this way. Or maybe, you are just bored and are looking for something new. Whatever the reason, here you are, ready to discover a world of possibilities in the banana peeling world!

The Traditional Method

This method is how most of us have learned to peel bananas and continue to use to this day.

• Hold the banana vertically in your hand with the stem pointing up.
• Use your other hand’s thumb to push the stem in the opposite direction from the direction it is leaning in, and this will help you snap the stem while causing minimum to no harm to the flesh inside.
• Once the stem has snapped, a section of the skin will also detach itself from the fruit. Pull this section in the downward direction to peel the section of the banana covered by it.
• Next, you can continue to pull off strips from the top to peel the banana completely and as a result, you will have the banana entirely peeled in 3 – 4 strips.
• You can pull the strips all the way down or pull them down as you eat the banana to avoid messing up your hand.

The Upside-Down or Monkey Method

This method has recently become popular thanks to TikTok and Instagram Reels. It is a simple, convenient, and no-fuss way of peeling bananas, and it derives its name because it is how monkeys eat bananas!

• Flip the banana so that the stem is pointing downwards.
• Using your forefinger and thumb, pinch the tip of the banana gently but firmly. The more underripe your banana is, the more pressure you will need to apply.
• As you pinch the banana, you will notice the skin splits open, and you can easily pull the skin down in strips to peel the banana.
• Remember to be still gentle as you peel the banana because you don’t want to smush it. You should have the entire banana peeled in 2 – 3 strips. If you are having a bit of trouble coaxing the skin to split initially, use your fingernail to pierce the skin open.

This method has a few benefits:

1. It allows you to get to the very last of the banana without wasting the bottom part.
2. You will also notice that the nasty stringy bits that often cling to your banana when peeled traditionally don’t stick any more!

The Snap and Peel Method

This method can get a little messy, so it’s best to use a banana that isn’t overly ripe. However, you might find this method helpful when you want to share the banana with someone and don’t have a knife on hand.

• Hold the banana in both your hands in such a way that it makes a frowny face.
• With your thumbs anchored to the top curve of the frown, pull both hands in the downward direction, effectively snapping the banana in half.
• Now you can peel both the banana halves and enjoy, or you can just peel one and store the other for later!

Note that this method is useful only when the banana skin is still firm. If you try to use this method with an overly ripe banana, soft skin, and soft flesh, you won’t get a clean cut. In such cases, it’s best to use any of the other methods mentioned, or if you want to eat just half a banana, cut it in half using a knife.

The Cut and Peel Method

This method is primarily for people who are sensitive about getting their hands messy when dealing with bananas. If you don’t like the peel’s texture or you don’t like peeling an overly ripe banana, you can limit your contact with the peel using this method.

• Hold the banana horizontally in your hand.
• Using a sharp knife, cut off both ends of the banana as close to the fruit as possible. After this step, you should see the white flesh of the banana exposed on both ends.
• Next, make a vertical incision into the skin of the banana with the knife, taking care that you are only cutting into the peel and not the fruit inside.
• Once the peel is entirely cut, you can simply pull it away from the banana to peel it completely.

Since you are using a sharp knife in this method, it is essential that you are exceptionally safe and don’t end up hurting yourself. If you aren’t confident with a knife, lay the banana down on a cutting board and proceed with the steps above.

This method will work great if you want to chop the banana into smaller pieces or if you want to eat it with the peel entirely off.

Tips

• Don’t throw out the banana peel! You can use it to make some excellent fertilizer for your garden.
• You can slow down the ripening process of your bananas by wrapping their stems in plastic wrap. While this won’t stop the ripening process completely, it will definitely slow it down.
• Did you know that banana peels are edible and are actually full of nutrients! You can incorporate them into your smoothies, chutneys, or even brew a tea from them.

Conclusion

There are several fun ways that you can come up with to peel bananas. We have walked you through some of the most practical and useful ways to peel bananas in this post. Hopefully, this post has introduced you to some new techniques you can try out the next time you peel bananas!