In just 45 minutes, turn your bananas into a sweet-smelling banana jam with just 3 ingredients. No pectin is required! This recipe is super simple even if you are new to jam-making.
Banana jam, I know it doesn’t sound as romantic as strawberry jam or cherry jam. Nor it is full of punching flavors like orange jam and plum jam.
It sounds like a mildly boring affair like papaya jam or any fruit that is not so exciting. BUT, you are hearing this from a banana hater. "This jam is DELICIOUS!"
Jump to:
Yeah.. that inexpensive fruit that is evergreen and plenty in all seasons makes a scrumptious jam. And it also has a good yield even without pectin. And it doesn’t even require a long cooking time like grape jam. Because bananas have a decent amount of pectin with an average of 0.94. BUT you have to use a ripened FIRM banana.
Save your over-ripened, mushy banana for banana bread. Putting them in jam can give you a slightly over-ripened taste and shorter shelf life.
This banana jam has a tiny sour tinge that comes naturally from bananas and is intensified with lemon juice which makes it taste really good.
Why make this jam?
- This is a no-pectin jam.
- It has a lovely cinnamon flavor, you can add other spices too that you like best.
- It has low sugar content than most jams because bananas are naturally sweet.
- You can skip canning and keep it in the fridge for 2-3 three months.
- It is a small batch and gets ready in less than an hour.
Ingredients
Banana:
Bananas are the main ingredient. Use firm and fully ripe bananas. I do not recommend using overripe or mushy bananas because they have lower pectin. Bananas vary in size a lot and can have thick or thin peels. So I weighed them to measure 1 kg (2.2 lbs) for this recipe. Then I also measured the peeled banana to be more accurate which was 3 and a half cups.
Sugar:
Bananas are naturally sweet so I used just 1.5 cups of sugar which makes a reasonably sweet jam. An old-fashioned recipe would call for 4 cups of banana so you can add extra sugar after tasting if you want.
Because this jam is not intended for canning and we'll store it in the fridge or freezer adding less sugar is okay. You can switch some white sugar for brown sugar in this jam if adding warm spices. This will give the jam a darker color.
Lemon:
Bananas are not very acidic like other apples or peaches. We need an acidic environment for the longer shelf life of a jam. So we are adding extra lemon juice to this jam. It also adds some contrasting tartness to the sweet banana jam. And acidity of lemon juice also activates the natural pectin of bananas which helps set the jam.
You can switch lemon juice for fresh lime juice which has similar acidity levels.
How to make it?
Find a pictorial step-by-step of how to make banana jam without pectin below with pro tips.
- Peel the bananas and slice them roughly.
- Transfer sliced bananas to a wide shallow pot and add sugar, and lemon juice.
- I added cinnamon sticks to the jam pot. (You can add other spices too, See Variation). Cook jam for 30 minutes on medium-low heat until bananas are soft and mushy. Stir at intervals.
- At this stage, you can mash the bananas. The mashed jam will have some texture. Or you can blend with the immersion blender for a smooth jam. (Remove spices before blending.) Simmer jam until it reaches setting point.
- Remove the cinnamon stick when the jam is closing the setting point. The jam will thicken and get glossy.
- Drawing a line on the pot will give you an idea of the jam-setting point.
- Do a cold plate test by dropping a teaspoon of jam on a cold plate. Draw a line. The line shouldn't meet. The banana jam is ready.
- Transfer hot jam to clean dry jars seal the lids and turn the jars upside down. This will create a vacuum seal. Let it set to room temperature for 12 hours then transfer to fridge or freezer.
Storage
Banana is a low acidic fruit and I used little sugar in this recipe. So unlike my other jams, this recipe is not recommended for water bath canning. But because this is a small batch recipe you can easily store it in the fridge for months or even freeze it for a year.
If you still wish to can this jam, add 1 cup extra sugar and ½ cup orange juice to have enough acidity in the jam for canning. Then run in the hot water bath for 10 minutes. And check the seals. Only sealed jars are safe to be stored in the pantry.
Expert Tips
- If you love some variety and spices, try adding one of these flavors like clove, cardamom, or vanilla.
- You can switch some white sugar with brown sugar for a more earthy flavor and darker color.
- Do not take banana jam at face value. Consider adding a tinge of orange color to attract the kids. I didn’t.
- If you like fruit combos, consider adding any one fruit like strawberry, plum, or any other berries. Switch some bananas with the added fruit by weight. Strawberry banana jam makes the best fruit combo.
Ideas To Use Jam
- Spread it on toast, English muffin, or on biscuit.
- Make a banana jam sandwich.
- Add it to your yogurt parfait or oatmeal.
- Top it over your vanilla ice cream, pancakes, waffles or scones.
- You can use it as filling in the cake along with fresh cream frosting.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! you can double this recipe. Make sure to use a wide pan with a large circumference. The cooking time will increase so rely on visual signs for the completion of steps.
Yes, bananas have a decent amount of pectin with an average of 0.9. The pectin turns soluble as the banana ripens. That is why the bananas turn mushy and translucent as they ripen.
No, I do not recommend using frozen bananas for making jam because the jam will not gel easily without pectin and may be runny.
Hungry for jams? Try these!
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📖 Recipe
Banana Jam
Ingredients
- 1 kg banana
- 1.5 cup sugar
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 cinnamon stick , for background cinnamon flavour optional
Instructions
- Peel the bananas and slice them roughly. (I measured my bananas to be 3.5 cups after slicing.) Transfer sliced bananas to a wide shallow pot and add cinnamon sticks, sugar, and lemon juice.
- Cook jam for 30 minutes on medium-low heat until bananas are soft and mushy. At this stage, you can mesh the jam with potato masher. Or remove the cinnamon stick and blend the jam with the immersion blender for a smooth jam.
- When the jam is closing the setting point, jam will thicken and get glossy. Do a cold plate test by dropping a teaspoon of jam on a cold plate. Draw a line. The line shouldn't meet. The banana jam is ready.
- Transfer hot jam to clean dry jars seal the lids and turn the jars upside down. This will create a vacuum seal. Let it set to room temperature for 12 hours then transfer to fridge or freezer.
Notes
- Use firm and fully ripened bananas. I weighed them to measure 1 kg (2.2 lbs) for this recipe. Then I also measured the peeled banana to be more accurate which was 3 and half cups.
- This recipe is not recommended for water bath canning.
- You can switch some white sugar with brown sugar for a more earthy flavor and darker color.
- You can switch lemon juice for lime juice which has similar acidity levels.
- Bananas are naturally sweet so I used just 1.5 cups of sugar which makes a reasonably sweet jam. An old-fashioned recipe would call for 4 cups of banana so you can add extra sugar after tasting if you want.
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