How to Peel a Banana the Easy Way

You’ve likely spent your entire life peeling bananas and eating them! This potassium filled fruit is a tasty snack. However, if you don’t gently peel this fruit, you’re likely to end up with a mangled banana. To avoid this mess, we’re here to offer a step by step tutorial to up your banana peeling game.

What Are Some Ways to Peel a Banana?

You have a few options when it comes to time to peel bananas. If you want, you can just rely on your hands or employ a tool like a knife. Keep reading and we’ll go over a few different options.

What You’ll Need to Peel a Banana with a Knife:

  • Bananas you want to peel
  • A knife
    • For this, you don’t need anything large. Something as small as a paring knife is fine.
  • Cutting board
  • Your hands
    • Once you cut the banana skin, the rest is manual
Of course you know how to peel a banana, and you are probably thinking it can’t get any easier. Right? But have you ever tried peeling it from the bottom? If you answered no, then this post is for you! It’s my new preferred method as of last night when the hubs clued me in.

Thanks to his African friend, we now know a better way! It’s even easier than the already easy way of snapping the stem. You ready to see it in action?

How to Peel a Banana with a Knife?

Step 1: Cut the Banana Stem with a Knife

To start this method, you’ll want to use your knife to make a horizontal slit in the stem, close to the banana itself.

While this might seem like it sounds completely ridiculous, there’s a good reason you might want to make a cut in the stem before you peel a banana. All that trouble – really only one quick slice and a single dish to rinse – will help you avoid a mashed or even bruised banana top.

For the best results and the safest use, it’s best to use a sharp knife for this step.

Step 2: Grasp and Peel Back a Section of the Peel at a Time

Now that you’ve made the slit in the peel, banana in one hand with the stem pointing upwards. Then, use your other hand to grasp the stem and pull the stem towards you with the cut you made facing away from you.

If you correctly peel and cut your banana, the peel should pull away easily. It’ll separate easily at the opening you made when you cut it rather than unevenly tearing or, even worse, leaving you with a half mushed tip of your banana.

Once you have that section of the peel pulled away, you can continue with the other sections. With one section of the peel already pulled down from the stem, the rest of the peel should pull away without much of a problem.

Take your banana and place it’s bottom between your pointer and thumb.

Give it a little squeeze.

Step 3: Prepare or Just Enjoy!

What you do from here is up to you. Whether you just want to go ahead, jump in, and take a bite or take the time to make a smoothie, bread, or something else, you’re ready now with your bananas peeled without any trouble.

And then a little pull.

And another and another. Pinch off the end and it’s ready to be eaten! Simple as that. Please tell me this idea is new to you too!?

How to Open a Banana with Your Hands?

Step 1: Peel from the Stem

This is pretty similar to the method we just looked at. However, you won’t need to break out the cutlery or the cutting board for this one.

For this one, start by holding the banana in one hand and grasp the stem with the other. Then, just pull the stem away from the banana. The banana peel should naturally peel into sections.

Step 2: Continue with the Rest of the Peel

Now, all you have to do is continue pulling down the rest of the peel and your banana is ready to go!

How to Peel a Banana Upside Down?

Step 1: Flip Your Banana

You’ve likely spent your entire life peeling bananas from the stem. For this method, you’ll want to start by holding your banana “upside down” with the brown tip facing up and the stem pointing towards the ground.

Step 2: Pinch and Pull

To pull this end of the banana apart, start by pinching the end until it splits in two. Then, you should be able to just pull each side down to access the fruit.

How to Pull a Banana in Half?

Step 1: Start with the Right Grip

This method is a great choice if you want to share a banana but don’t have anything to cut it with. Not to mention, it’s one of the more fun methods to spice up your banana peeling game.

To start, hold the banana properly. You’ll want to position it so the ends of the banana are pointing towards the floor to account for the curve.

Step 2: Pull It Apart

With one hand on each half of the banana in this position, simply pull the banana in half. It doesn’t take as much force as you might think!

Common FAQ

How Do You Cut an Unpeeled Banana?

One interesting way to cut a banana into slices before you even open it is to use a needle. Your needle should be as long as the width of your banana at the bare minimum.

Just stab the needle into the area you want to slice without stabbing all the way through and then sweep the needle from side to side. Repeat this for as many slices as needed. Once you open the banana, it’ll already be sliced!

How to Peel a Frozen Banana?

If your bananas are frozen, you don’t have to worry about defrosting them to get the peel off.

To start, chop off the ends of the banana and then cut it down the center lengthwise. You should be left with two long pieces of banana that you can pull the peel away from.

If the peel is being stubborn, you can use the tip of a knife to start pulling it away. Once it’s loosened, you should be able to pull it away with ease.

Can You Eat the Inside of a Banana Peel?

Technically, yes you can eat your banana peels but there are a few things to keep in mind. For one, the banan peel is often used as a natural casing for the fruit before you eat it. So, you’ll want to make sure it’s clean. This is more of a problem if you eat the whole peel, including the tough outer layer.

Then again, the next problem is that banana peels aren’t as easy to eat as the fruit itself but some people use them in smoothies or other dishes.

What Can You Use Discarded Banana Peels For?

One of the best uses for your banana peels is compost. This is environmentally friendly and you can use it to help nourish your garden, readying you for more fresh fruit and veggies to come! And according to Carbon Click, composting is a good way to reduce carbon footprint.

They have some unexpected other uses as well, though, including shining your shoes or making vinegar!

Did you like our tutorial? There are a few different ways you can get a banana peeled in no time! If you liked any of these methods, share this guide with a friend and let us know what you think in the comments!

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