BANANA BREAD

Ingredients:

2/3 cup shortening

2 2/3 cups white sugar

4 eggs

2 cups mashed bananas

2/3 cup water

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves (I used half a teaspoon because I didn’t want mine too ‘clovey’.)

2/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

You will also need:

12 250 ml canning jars

funnel

If you are planning on storing these for a while, you will need to sterilize your jars.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease insides of a dozen 250ml canning jars. (I wiped mine down with vegetable oil.)

In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Mash bananas--Beat in eggs, bananas, and water.

Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Add to banana mixture. Add nuts and stir them in with spoon. Insert canning funnel into mouth of jar and pour mixture into greased jars, filling half full. Place jars directly on rack in oven.

Do NOT put lids on jars for baking. Be careful to keep the rims clean, wiping off any batter that gets on the rims. Bake for 45 minutes. Don’t worry if a few rise over the top of the jar a bit like this one. You can press it down with the lid.

While jars are still warm, add lids. 

Screw on tightly. If you sterilized your jars (as I mentioned, I didn’t because I didn’t plan on storing mine), listen for the ping once you have added the lids; this means that the jar is sealed. If you miss the “ping”, wait until they are completely

cool and press on the top of the lid. If it doesn’t move at all, it’s sealed, and Enjoy!