Over Ripe Bananas Make Wonderful Jams

Here's the SeCond banana recipe as a gift to those who are honoring this blog with awards. Today, it's an authentic French recipe for Banana Jam. It's for Kathryn at 4urpets and every one else who already loves this new blog after just two short weeks. Just scroll down or click on the link if you missed yesterday's super moist Banana Yogurt Cake with cream cheese icing. It was a yummy recipe and you don't want to miss it.

I'm so glad to have received not just one, but two of these Royal Banana Blog Yumminess Awards! Thank you so very much! And the blog love today goes to Open Grove Claudia who is a beekeeper and to Aged Cat. Let them know I sent you when you go say hello to them ;-) .

And I'd also like to give a warm welcome to all the Sugar High Friday participants. I know it's not Friday ;-), but the deadline for entering a post is today, then the participants visit when the links are published on the last Friday of the month. It's my very first entry with Sugar High Friday and the theme changes each month, but this time the theme just happens to match this post so I'm entering. The theme for March is to "post the recipe for a dessert you made (or want to make) for someone else," and it's titled Sweet Gifts. I look forward to participating in this sweet carnival and getting to know all of you foodie bloggers.

Have you ever had banana jam? You can't find it in most stores and like all jams, of course, the best ones are homemade or at least from your local farmer's market. I have many childhood memories of homemade jams from my aunt. This aunt is a dessert guru. Anything sweet is her forte. And she would make the most amazing jams bursting with flavor. Each year she spends a few days preserving some of the summer's fruit harvest. I remember her putting those jams on a "Petit Suisse" as a snack for me. Petit Suisse is a fresh cheese originally from Normandy, similar to sour cream for its tangy and creamy texture. It is so good with jam or honey, or even plain sugar. Petit Suisse is not available here in the U.S., at least where I live, so sometimes when my taste buds get nostalgic, I'll serve myself a scoop of sour cream with jam. It's not exactly the same, but it's real close. It gives me that sour/tangy/creamy taste with the combination of the sweet jam. It takes me back to my childhood.

This is a recipe I've had for many years. It originally came from a magazine in France from when I was a child, but I've adjusted it over the years to make it my own. It's super easy and you don't need to know how to make jams or preserves. This one is as basic as it gets and it will only take about a half hour of your time. Anybody can succeed so don't be afraid to try it even if you've never made jam before. The rum adds that special gourmet flavor, yet the alcohol just burns off in the cooking. Now you'll have another recipe to use those over ripe bananas and you won't have to throw them out.

Banana Jam
2 lbs ripe bananas
3 3/4 Cup brown sugar
1 1/3 Cup water
juice of 3 limes (or lemons)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons of pure vanilla extract (or use real vanilla beans)
1 dash of ginger powder
1/4 Cup of rum

Peel and mash the bananas.
Mix water, lime juice, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, ginger over moderate heat and stir until syrup thickens. Add the mashed bananas and let cook 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add rum during the last few minutes of cooking to let alcohol burn off. Immediately place in jam jars and seal.

ENJOY!!

Yummy jam, awards, a new carnival, this all works for me. If you like bananas, you'll go bananas over this new recipe too. Don't forget to look at the other banana yogurt cake recipe too. For more participants, go to Rocks In My Dryer.