Jamaica Banana Jam Food

JAMAICA BANANA JAM

Steps:

• Place lime juice in a one quart measure.
• Peel bananas and dice directly into lime juice.
• Stir with a wooden spoon.
• Keep stirring as you dice each banana into the lime juice to prevent darkening.
• Measure sugar and water into a wide 2½ quart saucepan, and stir to dissolve sugar as you bring syrup to a boil.
• Cover tightly for the first 2 minutes (so the steam will wash sugar crystals from side of saucepan) then uncover, add bananas (with lime) and boil over low heat for about 30 minutes or until thick.
• Stir often to prevent sticking, especially during last 10 minutes.
• Jam is done when a spoon scraped across bottom of pan leaves a track that closes slowly, or when jam mounds while stirring.
• Fill hot, sterilized jars quickly with the hot jelly or jam mixture, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
• Wipe the sealing surface of the jars with a clean paper towel, dampened with hot water, to remove any jam or sugar crystals.
• Place lids, screw on bands finger-tight and process jars for 10 minutes in boiling water bath.
• Cool jars upright for 12-24 hours while vacuum seal is drawn and jam or jelly sets up. Let the jars sit undisturbed while they cool.

WE BE JAMMIN' JAMAICAN BANANA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease two 8x4 inch loaf pans.
• Beat together 2 tablespoons of softened butter and cream cheese in a large bowl until fluffy. Slowly beat in sugar until well incorporated. Add the egg and mix well. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. In a different bowl, mix together the bananas, milk, 2 tablespoons rum, lime zest, lime juice, and vanilla extract; stir well. Pour 1/3 of the flour mixture into the butter and mix well. Mix in 1/2 of the mashed bananas. Continue with another 1/3 of the flour, followed by the remaining banana mixture, and finally the remaining flour. Fold in 1/4 cup pecans and 1/4 cup coconut flakes.
• Pour the mixture into the loaf pans, and bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about one hour. When finished, cool for 10 minutes in the pan, remove, and finish cooling on a wire rack.
• After you take the banana bread out of the oven, prepare the topping by stirring together the brown sugar, remaining butter, lime juice, and 2 teaspoons of rum in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer stirring constantly; cook until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth, about one minute. Remove from heat, and stir in 2 tablespoons pecans, and 2 tablespoons coconut. Spoon this topping over the loaves while they are still warm. The topping will harden slightly when the loaf cools.

BANANA JAM

Steps:

• Thaw bananas if frozen. (I often store up my overripe bananas in a freezer bag in the freezer until I have enough to make something.).
• Peel bananas, and mash smooth.
• Mix water, lime juice, sugars, cinnamon, vanilla, ginger over medium heat and stir until thickened.
• Add mashed bananas and let cook 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add rum during the last few minutes of cooking.
• Place hot banana jam into sterilized jars. Place lids on and seal.