Bravo Banana Bread - You are Almost the Perfect Food

Bravo Banana Bread

Banana bread contains the most vital nutrients of the human diet. It has,  at the very least, four of the major food groups within it.

Carbohydrates, proteins, fruit, and fats make this delicious bread a great choice for a decent breakfast or snack item. Use butter instead of oil and it is only missing a portion of vegetables, which to me makes it almost the perfect food.

Like many of the folks I know that do a bit of baking, I save bananas. I save a LOT of bananas. They start to get a few spots of brown on them and into the freezer they go. They keep long term well and are easily reused in this banana bread recipe. I bake quite a bit of it during the cooler months around holiday season. 

If you are freezing bananas, be sure to rotate your stock about every 60 days. Always store the freshest portions last and the oldest first for first in first out usage. Bananas may be frozen skin on or put in freezer bags. Pack three bananas per bag and simply remove the amount you need for the recipe. 

Banana bread may be baked ahead of time and frozen. It may be thawed, warmed, and sliced for serving. The bread keeps for about 3 months. 

Banana bread requires only three medium sized bananas. A frozen set or a few fresh ones will meet the necessity. The rest of the ingredients are standard kitchen staples such as flour, salt, and baking powder. You should already have most of these in your cabinet. Always check expiration dates on stored goods. Even dry goods have a best use by date on the package. 

Baking basics

Shopping List:

• Bananas (6)
• Flour
• Baking Soda
• Baking Powder
• Oil shortening, or Butter
• Salt
• Sugar
• Eggs

Makes: 2 loaves

Servings: About 20

Recipe

• 3 1/2 C Flour
• 1/2 t salt
• 2/3 c oil, shortening, or butter (I use butter)
• 1 1/3 c sugar
• 4 eggs (beaten)
• 6 ripe bananas - mashed

Optional ingredients:

• 1/4 c pecans or walnuts

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Banana bread pre-baked

Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the oil (or butter or shortening) and combine until ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Add sugar slowly. Stir in eggs until dry ingredients are mixed in well. Add bananas. Stir until batter is smooth in texture. Some banana lumps are fine. It gives the bread character. 

Grease two bread pans and set them in the oven for about a minute and a half to heat up. Handle carefully! The batter should sizzle when poured into the pans. This adds a nice crust to the bottom if the bread and helps it lift easily out of the pan.

Bake for about 40 minutes to 1 hour. 

Check bread at about 35 minutes to test. Slide a butter knife into center. If it comes out with batter on it, bake an additional 15 minutes. Cover bread with foil after it has browned on top. It will generally brown before it is done. 

Remove from oven and let cool. 

Remove from pan by running a bread knife along sides and tip bread out. It should drop out easily when cooled if pan has been properly oiled. 

**A great tip a friend shared with me is sprinkling cinnamon sugar on the interior of the greased loaf pan. This gives a nice sweetness to the bread. 

To cut baking time, consider baking banana bread as handy muffins or individual loaves. 

Banana Bread Muffins

Coat muffin pan with oil or nonstick spray. Place muffin papers. Spoon mixture into muffin papers and bake about 30 to 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.


Individual Loaves

Coat small loaf pans with oil and bake about 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

All these goodies may be served as soon as cool enough to cut.

Enjoy!

(For a free list of baking goods check out our sister site Survival Recovery and learn why baking ingredients should be your first foods in food storage)




All images and content are property of M Burgess. Please, do not copy. Copyright 2015.

Easy to Make Apple Butter in a Crock Pot

Apple butter is a favorite preserve for those who know of its tangy, sweet flavor. It is easily created at home in a crock pot with just a few simple ingredients and a bit of time.

Homemade Apple Butter

This recipe is a great way to use up an abundance of apples. The delightful mixture may be preserved in jars or freezer for long term storage.

If you have never tasted this great apple spread, follow the instructions below and introduce yourself to a new pancake or waffle topping! Apple Butter works well as a healthy substitute for maple syrup. (This author even uses it as a secret ingredient in baking items.) There are many uses for Apple Butter like basting a baked ham or chicken for an added touch of sweetness and spice. It is simply a spiced apple sauce
Shopping List

• 8 Medium Granny Smith Apples
• Butter 
• Brown Sugar
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Ground Cloves
• Ground Ginger

Recipe
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours

• 8 Granny Smith Apples
• 2 T Butter
• 1/4 C Brown Sugar
• 1 t Cinnamon
• 1/2 t Nutmeg
• 1/2 t Cloves
• 1/4 t Ground Ginger

Sliced apples coated with spice mixture

Instructions

Preheat crock pot on low setting. 
Add butter and brown sugar to the crock.
Peel and core apples, remove skin if desired. (Skins may be kept on apples if a hand blender or stand-up blender model is used when Apple butter is ready to cool. Blend until smooth. This adds extra fiber, pulp, and vitamins!) 
Drop apple slices into crock pot. 
Add the final ingredients to the apples and stir the slices around in the mixture to coat well. 
Cover and let steep for two hours. the apple mixture will literally melt down and only require a stirring action to convert it to Apple butter. 
Let cool and enjoy! 
*Makes about 2 1/2 quarts

How To Preserve Apple Butter

Canning
Apple butter while still hot may be transferred to a large pot and simmered for an extra 30 minutes to remove impurities and brought up to temperature for canning. Scoop foam off of mixture if needed and pour into hot, sterilized, and approved canning jars. Top with new, hot lids and rings with a 1/2" headspace clearance. Place filled, hot jars in water bath canner. Process pints for 15 minutes and quarts at 20 minutes. Turn heat off when time is expired. Allow canner to cool slightly. Remove the lid away from the body to prevent steam burns. Place jars on a surface covered with a double layer of towels. Let jars sit undisturbed and covered with a cloth for 24 hours. Label the tops with the date made and keep in a cool, dark place for up to two years. Turn jars in deep storage occasionally to keep contents fresh. Refrigerate after opening and use within two weeks. 
Freezer Storage
Allow Apple Butter mixture to cool down to a manageable temperature. Using freezer bags, pack cooled mixture into bags leaving about a two inch head space in the bag. Lay bag flat and let cool to room temperature. Keeps in freezer for about 6 months.

posted from Bloggeroid