Should you turn those super-overripe bananas into a sweet treat or chuck them in the trash?

Simply Recipes / Sarah Crowder

It seems that just about every recipe forbanana breadcalls for very ripe bananas.

They are perfect for baking when speckled with brown all over and have a strong fruity fragrance.

black bananas

Simply Recipes / Sarah Crowder

Bananas also get softer as they ripen, and their mashability makes them ideal for treats and creamy smoothies.

But justhowripe are we talking about here?

Simply Recipes / Kelly Hamilton

Is It Safe To Eat and Cook with Black Bananas?

Smashing bananas to make banana bread.

Simply Recipes / Kelly Hamilton

Rogers concurs, saying he hasn’t seen any studies linking foodborne illness to eating extremely ripe bananas.

“Cooking is a kill step,” says Rogers.

Also, note that placing bananas in the fridge or freezer will turn them black.

Black banana on kitchen counter

Simply Recipes / Getty Images

This is naturalbananas don’t handle the cold welland does not mean the bananas are bad.

you could still eat them safely as long as they aren’t moldy.

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