Rhubarb and banana jam – a delicious way to use up those bananas!

I had a couple of bananas which were blackening on the outside and also was aware that the next Food on Friday is about bananas and I didn't have a post to link in.  So I did a bit of fossicking around in my recipe collection  and found a recipe for rhubarb, strawberry and banana jam.  


Now strawberries aren't in season right now but we can get rhubarb.  So I did a jam with just rhubarb and bananas.  And it turned out to be easy to make and lovely to eat.


I only made a small quantity – enough for 2 ½ jars.  I will be making it again. 
In terms of ingredients, it is the relative proportions that is more important.  I did equal weights of rhubarb and sugar.  The bananas were just over half the quantity of rhubarb.  They have quite a strong flavour so you want the rhubarb to counterbalance that.


I chopped up the rhubarb and put it into a non-reactive bowl with the sugar.  The base recipe called for you to refrigerate this for about 8 hours or overnight.  But I wanted to use those bananas quickly so I improvised.  I put the rhubarb and sugar onto the bench in sunlight and left it for only 3 hours – and that worked just fine.


You then transfer it to a large saucepan and bring it to the boil while you add the bananas roughly  mashed with a fork with the juice of half a lemon mixed through the banana.  This not only stops it blackening but also helps the jam to set.  I put in a small amount of lemon zest, a few drops of vanilla extract and a small spoonful of brandy.


This jam was ready for putting into clean hot jars within 15 minutes.  I did have to scoop a small amount of scum off the top.  I also gave the jam a gentle mash with a potato masher to  break down the rhubarb pieces.


I used a jam funnel to put the jam into the jars.


For another post about jam/jelly, click here