Banana Jam: 2 Ways
+ a Christmas Surprise!
SURPRISE! WE ARE RESTOCKING THE CINNAMON VANILLA SALT!
All paid subscribers have already received this special link in advance (happy advent calendar day 12) but we still have some stock so I wanted to share with you all!
I so appreciate you being subscribed to my newsletter and reading my inner thoughts, historical deep dives and unconventional flavor combos that I wanted to make sure I sent out an email blast prior to posting about it on socials.
For the past 3 launches, we’ve sold out in under 24 hours (WILD!) so if you’re interested I’d reccomend ordering sooner rather than later! As a head’s up, Josu is a smaller family run company and will not be able to ship any salt until Jan 10.
…And yes I know you may be thinking A NEWSLETTER? ON A RANDOM SATURDAY? AND AN EXTRA RECIPE? WAIT JK TWO RECIPES?? Well Happy Holidays to you all, this has been the best year yet and it’s really all because of your support. <333
Now if you happen to already own the salt, the recipe below calls for a pinch of it :) If not, have no fear! I’ve written down an alternative.
BANANA JAM - 2 Ways
While I had tried banana jam before, I had never attempted to make it. How hard could it be? To be honest, it took a few trial and error runs before perfecting it. I didn’t want to send you guys just ANY recipe.
Every time, the outcome was delicious, but the texture is what always threw me off. I’d end up with a delicious, spiced and limey banana puree, not a glossy jam. That is, until I attempted many versions…
V1 was documented on TikTok and while it was yummy, the texture wasn’t quite perfect. Let’s just say my friends are getting lots of banana jam, cookies, and cakes this holiday season.
What I came to realize is that I needed to change the order of my basic jam steps as well as my usual sugar ratio. Instead of throwing in all ingredients and letting them macerate, the move when making banana jam is to cook it right away. On top of that, in order to keep the bright yellow color and glossy texture, you have to make a syrup first using liquid and sugar. I’ve done this before with figs and didn’t find the outcome to be that different or beneficial so I dropped this technique after that attempt.
Now, the syrup —> fruit —> jam technique is crucial for making a good banana jam. I also found that in all of my citrus juice ratios, those with the most lime (juice and zest) were my favorite. These were bright, exciting, and left you wanting more with every spoonful.
The Recipes - Basic and Spiced
makes 1 12oz jar (…and a little for you to snack on)
Basic Banana Jam
Ingredients:
3 medium sized bananas
60ml or 1/4 cup water
2 limes - zest and juice
2 clementines - juice
1 lemon - juice
75g or 3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon vanilla salt
sterilized jar, wooden spoon, thermometer
syrup and THEN bananas
Steps:
Zest your limes and set the zest aside
Squeeze the juice of your lemon, limes, and clementines and place in a pot with your sugar and water
Simmer the citrus juice until the sugar has melted
Prepare your bananas by slicing into rounds.
Add your banana to your citrus sugar mixture. Turn heat to high while stirring until you reach a boil, then turn the heat down to medium and continue to stir while scraping the bottom occasionally to make sure your jam doesn’t burn.
After about 20 minutes, once it reaches 104C (220F), turn off the heat. Add in 1/2 tsp cinnamon vanilla salt (or a pinch of cinnamon, sea salt and a dash of vanilla extract), and stir to combine.
Jar up, place in fridge and enjoy!
Spiced Banana Jam + Pairing Ideas
Now it’s time to level up basic banana jam. Spiced, boozy, perfect for the holidays. An unexpected spoonful to take your meal to the next notch (or win most original dinner guest gift).
