How to Use Banana Peels

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Co-authored by Randall Chambers and Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: August 30, 2024 Approved

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Whether you're trying to reduce waste or you just don't want to throw away a nutritious part of the banana, learn to use the peels. Banana peels are high in fiber, vitamin C and B, potassium, and magnesium, so they're great to add to your diet! If you don't feel like eating them, use them in your skincare routine or put them to work in your garden, where they add nutrients to the soil.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Consuming Banana Peels

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1
Brew banana peel tea to help yourself fall asleep. Bananas are naturally high in melatonin, a hormone that regulates your sleep cycle. For a soothing drink before bed, put a banana peel into a saucepan and pour in enough water to cover it. Bring the water to a boil and simmer the peel for 10 minutes. Then, use tongs to remove the peel and pour the tea into a cup.^{[1]
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- You can leave some of the fruit on the peel for a slightly sweet tea.
- Adjust the burner so the water bubbles gently as the tea brews.
2
Lay banana peels under a roast to help it tenderize. If you're tired of meat drying out as it cooks, place it on banana peels in a roasting pan. Then, roast the meat until it's tender and flavorful. You can serve the soft banana peels with the roast or discard them.^{[2]
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- Banana peels will steam as they roast, which adds moisture to the meat and prevents it from drying out.
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3
Blend a banana peel into a smoothie. To take advantage of all of the banana's nutrients, toss the peel into the blender with fruit. You can make any smoothie recipe you like, since the banana peel won't change the flavor. Place the lid on the blender and combine the ingredients until you don't see any bits of banana peel at the bottom of the blender.
- Try adding the peel to a strawberry-banana smoothie, a wildberry smoothie, or a peanut butter banana smoothie, for instance.
Although you can eat banana peels raw, heating them makes them easier for you to digest. Try chopping the peel into bite-sized pieces and adding them to your next stir fry. You could also add chopped banana peel to a sheet of vegetables and roast the mixture until everything's tender.^{[3]
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Tip: Use peels from ripe bananas since these tend to be sweeter and thinner.
5
Pickle or candy banana peels to preserve them. For quick banana peel pickles, chop the peels into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces and put them in a jar of pickle juice. Chill them for at least 2 days before eating them. If you'd like sweeter peels, put the chopped peels into a pot with simple syrup. Simmer the peels until they're tender and then arrange them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Let them cool so they harden.
- Break up the candied banana peels and store them in an airtight container.
- Store the pickled banana peels in the refrigerator.
6
Make vinegar using banana peels. To make a lightly fruity vinegar that's great for salad dressing, put 1 pound (450 g) of banana peels in a large jar with 1/3 cup (67 g) of sugar and ¹⁄₂ cup (120 ml) of vinegar. Fill the jar with water. Cover it and stir the mixture once a day for a week. Then, let the vinegar ferment for another week before straining out the peels.^{[4]
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- Leave the vinegar to ferment for another 4 weeks so it develops more flavor.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Applying Banana Peels to Your Skin

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1
Try rubbing the peels on itchy skin. Rubbing the inside of the banana peel over itchy skin is a popular home remedy, especially for soothing poison ivy rashes. Gently rub the peel on your skin and repeat it as often as you need to throughout the day.^{[5]
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- Rubbing banana peel might also relieve the itching from insect bites.
Rub the inside of the banana peel over the entire surface of your face. Keep rubbing until the peel turns brown. The peel gently exfoliates your skin and leaves a slight residue on your skin. Wait up to 30 minutes before rinsing the residue off and then moisturize your face as usual.^{[6]
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Tip: More research is needed to learn the effects of banana peel on your skin, but some people find that it refreshes their skin.
3
Apply banana peels directly to acne or blemishes. Although research is needed, you could rub the inside of a banana peel on acne spots or blemishes. Let the residue from the peel dry on your skin. Then, rinse it off after about 5 minutes.^{[7]
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- Banana peels have antibacterial properties that could treat the acne.
4
Place banana peels under your eyes to reduce puffiness. If you have tired, puffy eyes, cut the peel into 2 pieces that are about 2 inches (5.1 cm) long. Lay the inside of each piece under your eyes and leave them for up to 5 minutes. Then, remove the peels and rinse your skin.^{[8]
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- Chill the banana peels before putting them on your skin if you want a cooling effect.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using Peels in Your Yard

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1
Create a cheap banana peel fertilizer to add nutrients to your plants. Put a banana peel in a large jar and fill it with 4 cups (0.95 L) of water. Cover the jar loosely and leave it at room temperature for 2 days. Then, take the peel out. You can now pour a little of the fertilizer into the soil around your plants or put it in a spray bottle and spritz the base of the plants.^{[9]
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- Since indoor houseplants may be more sensitive to changes in their soil, monitor your plants closely if you use the fertilizer on them. Stop using it if your plants begin wilting or losing leaves.
Did You Know? The banana peel fertilizer is high in potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen.
2
Make rich compost for your garden using banana peels. Although you can simply toss the banana peels on your compost pile, it can take several months for them to break down. To speed things up, chop the peels into pieces, keeping in mind that the smaller the pieces, the faster they'll break down. Then, mix the pieces into your compost pile.^{[10]
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- Chopping the peels before you compost them also prevents pests from digging through your pile.
3
Dry the peels and grind them into feed for animals. If you keep chickens, pigs, rabbits, or livestock, cheaply supplement their food with banana peels. To make them easier for the animals to digest, dehydrate the peels until they're brittle. Then, grind them until they're fine and mix them into your animals' regular feed.^{[11]
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- Some animals, such as pigs and cattle, might prefer eating sliced green banana peels so try a few different ways of preparing the peels.
4
Bury chopped banana peels to deter pests from your plants. Chop the peels into pieces that are about ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) in size. Then, bury them 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5.1 cm) below the soil. Green aphids, which also attract ants, are repelled by the peels, so they'll leave your garden alone.^{[12]
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- Don't bury whole banana peels since rodents will come and dig them up.

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Question

Can banana peel ease itchy skin?

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Yes. You can use a banana peel to relieve itching from poison ivy, mosquito bites, and more. If you get bitten by a mosquito or stumble into a bit of poison ivy, oak, sumac, etc., rubbing a banana peel on the affected area can moisturize and neutralize some of the itching. Note that it will just alleviate some of the itching—it won't solve the root problem, like the oils that poison plants leave on your skin. It'll do great as a first step, but if you really want to knock out that rash, you should head to the store and grab some poison ivy soap (and save your banana peels for shoe shining and splinter removal instead).

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Can banana peels be put into smoothies?

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Banana peels are safe to eat, but have a bitter taste and would make the smoothie have an odd consistency.

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How do I store a banana peel for later use?

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You can't really store banana skins for very long. They are best used right away, otherwise they will dry up.

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Tips

If you're eating the peel, consider buying organic bananas since these haven't been sprayed with pesticides.

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Avoid rubbing the peels over houseplant leaves since dusting with banana peels can attract fruit flies.

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Although rubbing your teeth with banana peels to whiten them is a popular home remedy, there's no evidence that this actually works.

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