When you have bananas that are very, very overripe, don't throw them away. Instead, use this banana bread recipe! Although I wasn't a big banana bread eater growing up (and I'm still not now), I remember both grandma and mom taking the blackened, smooshy bananas and making multiple loaves for holidays and snacking. Then they would put extra in the freezer for last-minute needs.
If they had the old, ripe bananas but didn't want to make bread, they would (and still do!) place the fruit, in the skins, into a freezer bag and freeze till ready to bake with this patented banana bread recipe. Don't worry if they thaw a bit mushier — the bananas have to be mashed anyway!
A Banana Bread Recipe Straight from Grandma
So, without further ado, here is my gram's recipe for banana bread:
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup shortening
- 2 eggs
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chopped nuts (optional)
Gram's Banana Bread Recipe
- Cream shortening and sugar.
- Add eggs and bananas. (If the bananas are already “mushy ripe,” you can skip the mashing step.)
- Mix together all dry ingredients. (Although many bakers prefer to sift, neither grandma, mom or myself ever have, and we never ran into a problem.)
- Slowly add into the sugar/shortening mixture and combine well. Add chopped nuts.
- Bake in greased loaf pan at 350 degrees for 1 hour. You may also divide batter into smaller pans. If you do so, monitor baking time closely, as, depending on the size of the smaller pans, baking time may drastically decrease.
- Extra loaves of bread may be frozen. Wrap carefully in plastic wrap and foil. Then place in freezer bag. With all the layers, the bread will freeze really well. Keep extra on hand for unexpected company, hostess gifts, or “dish to pass” gatherings!
And that's all there is to it! With this recipe in your repertoire, you'll never have to let another banana go to waste again.
Do you have a family recipe that would beat even this? Share the love and let us know in the comments below!
Ready for a full-on baker future? Try these 27 Perfect DIY Bread Recipes!
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