This article and it’s counterparts (Save Your Money in Your Freezer here and here) were published last summer here on the blog. I feel summer is the perfect time to think about stocking up for the winter and we as a family are certainly doing just that. Canning peaches at their peak ripeness and stashing away the best cut strawberries in your freezer now is one of the ways we can eat local, more sustainably, healthfully, and save money. So read on and be sure to visit the other ways you can save your money in your freezer! Here is to the bounty of summertime.

Okay, I love my freezer. If you have been reading this blog for a bit, you probably think I use my freezer like a piggy bank–which I kind of do. It is kind of like my bank for saving leftovers, saving fresh produce, and stashing dishes made-ahead of time which otherwise would be bound for the trash. Reading TipNut.com’s zucchini bread recipes in my Reader, reminded me of another freezer-saver favorite from my childhood: frozen bananas.

My mom would beat out any other sugar police out there, so we stuck to healthy everything with no refined sugar. One of my favorite snacks as a kid was a frozen bananas dipped in yogurt and coconut. In my home, we always have ripe bananas the kids aren’t going to eat, and because I don’t eat them anymore, they head for the trash. But, with this money and time-saving healthy tip, we can start saving our banana money in the freezer! Here is how I make them and some other variations:

1. Select moderately ripe bananas, peel, take off those stringies, and slice in half width-wise.
2. Push a clean round popsicle stick through the cut side of the banana about 1/2 way up the banana. (You can cut a 1/4″ dowel from the hardware store with a kitchen shears into 6″ lengths.)
3. Coat with desired topping.
4. If topping is drippy like melted chocolate: Place banana flat on baking sheet lined with waxed paper, lightly cover with plastic wrap and freeze flat for 4 hours. Then roll each individual frozen banana in waxed paper, twisting ends, and place in Ziploc freezer bag. Label the bag, and place in the freezer for a sweet and yummy frozen snack.
5. If topping is dry like toasted coconut: Roll each individual frozen banana in waxed paper, twising ends, and place in Ziploc freezer bag. Label the bag, and place in the freezer for a quick, refreshing money-saving snack.

Suggested toppings:

1. Plain yogurt and toasted coconut or granola
2. Fruit flavored yogurt and mini chocolate chips or chopped nuts
3. Peanut butter – can get messy
4. Melted chocolate (white chocolate is yummy)
5. Berry or fruit puree
6. Caramel (melt caramels, or make your own, place bananas on baking sheet lined with waxed paper and drizzle caramel on with a fork.)

I hope these inspire a chilly snack to cool off your summer days! For more Save Your Money in Your Freezer posts visit here and here. For a printable Save Your $$ In Your Freezer download it here.