Don't Throw Out That Banana Peel - Put It In Your Freezer For Your Future Garden. Here's Why

Banana peels are one of the best kitchen scraps you can reuse in the garden as a natural fertilizer. But what if it's winter and you don't currently have a garden? You can still get a head start on prepping for the next season. That's because there's an easy way to store banana peels while also preserving the nutrients they contain. All you have to do is put them in a bag and then stick them inside your freezer. Freezing banana peels not only preserves the nutrients but also makes storing them for later much simpler.

In addition to preserving nutrients, freezing the peels also stops the microbial and enzymatic activity that would otherwise just cause them to rot. Furthermore, frozen peels are easier to handle. You can slice them, chop them, or blend them before mixing them in the compost. Freezing also reduces kitchen waste and minimizes the need for daily trash disposal.

Start by giving your banana peels a quick rinse to get rid of any dirt or residue from handling. Pat them dry so you're not adding a lot of water to the freezer. If a peel has moldy or spoiled spots, cut those parts off and only save the good ones—you don't want to store anything that's already going bad. Next, lay the peels out flat on a tray and put them in the freezer for a bit so they firm up. Once they're solid, move them into a sealed container or freezer bag. This keeps them from getting freezer burn and can stop any funky fridge odors. Also, it's a good idea to label the bag with the date you froze them. 

Even though they'll remain good for up to a year, it's best to use your peels within a eight months. When ready to use, chop frozen peels with a sharp knife or pulse briefly in a blender to create small pieces that compost more quickly and evenly. If you want to get fancy, you can even make "banana peel tea." Just jar chopped peels with water for a few days, strain the liquid, and pour it onto your compost or directly into the soil as a quick source of potassium.

Chopped, frozen banana peels work best when they're part of a balanced compost mix, rather than being used as the sole fertilizer. They're a good source of potassium and a few micronutrients, however, they don't provide a full NPK profile on their own. NPK is an acronym for the nutrients in fertilizer based on their periodic table symbols: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

Compost enriched with banana peels can boost plant growth, but you must add them in correct amounts and let the compost break down thoroughly before using it. And here's a common-sense tip: don't just toss whole peels next to your plant stems or roots. They break down slowly and can attract critters. Also, they might even tie up nitrogen in the soil for a while. 

The safest bet is to mix those chopped peels with a good blend of "greens and browns" in your compost pile and give it time to mature. You'll know it's ready when it smells earthy and crumbles in your hand. Used properly, banana peels are a simple, low-cost way to turn kitchen scraps into a DIY fertilizer that will help your plants thrive.