How to Preserve Bananas: a Water Bath Canning Recipe
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Ever had a bunch of overripe bananas that you tossed in your freezer only to forget about for 2 years and never use? Just me? I always have good intentions to make banana bread or a good banana recipe later on but I completely forget about those bananas. Out of sight, out of mind! I started looking and asking around to see if anyone had heard of canning bananas before. I also frequently have the ability to by cases of ripe bananas and sometimes even green bananas in bulk for a couple dollars and preserving them is a lovely way to make use of that steal of a deal!
The pH of a ripe banana lies around 5-5.3, so the acidity is just outside the safety margin range for canning water bath method which is 4.6 or less, so I suppose it could be considered a low-acid fruit. I add additional acid in the form of lemon juice to this to do 2 things: lower the acidity and prevent browning. Low pH levels = acidic and high pH levels = basic (low acid) and the median for canning is 4.6. If it is any higher than 4.6 pH it is considered low acid and recommended to be pressure canned.
I’ve tried processing bananas in my pressure canner and it didn’t go very well. They actually exploded all over my canner and I figure it’s due to the expansion of them in the high heat and then the jars that didn’t explode separated and looked super gross and weird.
Rebel Canning
Home canning bananas is considered rebel canning. This does not mean it’s illegal or dangerous or unsafe. What it means is agencies like the National Center for Home Food Preservation did not test canning bananas in this manner, not because people died of botulism because they canned bananas at home, but likely because canning bananas is probably a little weird to the average home canner.
Plus, the NCHFP is a very minimally funded agency, so they had to pick and choose what they were testing and bananas were quite obviously not far up on that list. Who on earth wants jars of bananas? Oh wait, ME! You can buy it in jars for baby food so you can definitely can it at home. And you better not try to tell me the heat transfer process can’t happen in a jar of banana puree when a banana is about 75% water by weight. Water transfers heat just fine.
If you aren’t comfortable canning bananas, continue to freeze them or even dehydrate or freeze dry them. Do your own research and come to your own conclusion on what is safe for you to be canning and what is not. Because, at the end of the day, if you are afraid of what you’re canning, you’re not going to use it and that’s a waste of your time, resources, and money. Just because I’m sharing a banana canning recipe I use in my kitchen does not mean you have to do it; the internet is a fun place to share things and I’m doing just that!
Let’s get started!
Equipment You Might Want:
- Stand Mixer
- Stock Pot
- Pint canning jars
- Lids & screw bands
- Jar Funnel
- Jar Lifter
- Steam Canner
Ingredients:
PER PINT JAR
- 3 ripe bananas
- 1 Tbsp bottled lemon juice
Step 1: Prep Bananas
To the bowl of a stand mixer, add peeled whole bananas that are ripe. Unripe bananas don’t mix up very well, so I don’t recommend using those. Plus the flavor and pH would be rather different.
With the beater attachment, mix the bananas until there are small chunks. I prefer mine to have chunks because I like that for my banana bread and banana cake. If you want a smooth puree, use a blender. If you don’t have a stand mixer, mash bananas with a potato masher, fork, or your feet for all I care!
Once bananas are mixed to your liking, add in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice for every 3 bananas you add. Mix well.
Step 2: Heat Bananas
Pour banana puree into a large pot and place over medium heat.
Stirring almost constantly (because bananas will burn mercilessly to the bottom of your pan), heat bananas until they start bubbling.
Step 3: Canning
Wash pint or smaller sized jars and lids with soap and hot water, rinse well and set aside.
Ladle hot banana puree into jars, leaving a generous 1 inch headspace. Bananas tend to want to expand a bunch when they are canned and run a big chance of blowing lids off, so leave extra like you’re canning pie filling. Read more on headspace when canning here!
Wipe jar rims and add lids and secure with a screw band.
Water bath or steam can pint jars or smaller for 10 minutes, adjusting time for elevation if needed.
Once processing time is complete, shut off heat and remove canner lid and allow jars to cool inside the canner for 15 minutes before removing from the pot completely to cool on a heat proof surface undisturbed for 18-24 hours. Honestly, I let my jars cool in the canner for way longer than 15 minutes because it’s not going to hurt anything. I’ve let them sit an hour before! You DO NOT want the bananas to siphon… lawddd it’s a mess. AND, I normally use a steam canner so I just remove it from the heat and let it cool for an hour or better. It ain’t gonna hurt them, promise.
Step 4: Storage
After cooling, remove bands, test seals, wash jars, label, and store in a cool dark place away from direct sunlight. Room temperature is fine, just avoid extreme temperatures.
Shelf life is ’til you eat it. They’re good for a couple of years and even longer. I aim to rotate and use my canned foods within 2 years for maximum nutritional and flavor benefits.
To Use:
- Substitute fresh mashed bananas with a jar of bananas for banana bread. My recipe calls for 3 bananas, so 1 pint jar works perfectly. Can bananas in a half pint for 2 bananas and 1/4 pint for 1 banana. Roundabout anyway. I just open a pint and use 2/3 cup puree per banana the recipe calls for, and I occasionally just think every recipe needs a pint worth because the author just doesn’t know what they’re talking about LOL.
- Use in caramel banana rolls, mix into applesauce for a neat flavor, churn into ice cream, break out the muffin tins for fresh milled banana muffins, banana cream pie, or add to french toast, waffles, or pancake batter.
How to Preserve Bananas: a Water Bath Canning Recipe
Equipment
- stand mixer
- stock pot
- pint or smaller canning jars
- Canning lids & screw bands
- jar lifter
Ingredients
- 3 bananas ripe
- 1 Tbsp bottled lemon juice
Instructions
- Add peeled bananas to the bowl of a stand mixer. I plan on 3 bananas per pint.
- Stir with paddle attachment til small chunks. I like little chunks in mine. If you prefer a smoother puree, use a blender.
- Add in 1 Tbs lemon juice for every 3 bananas. Mix well.
- Add to a stock pot and slowly heat until bubbling. Stir constantly as they'll burn to the bottom of the pan easily.
- Ladle into prepared pint jars leaving generous 1 inch headspace as bananas do swell a little.
- Add lids and bands.
- Water bath pints or smaller jars for 10 minutes at a rolling boil, adjusting time for elevation if needed. When time is up, remove lid from canning pot and let jars sit in water for 15-20 more minutes before removing to cool. This helps prevent siphoning.
- Let cool undisturbed for 18-24 hours before removing bands and testing seals and storing.
This is so interesting to me. We come into gobs of bananas at times as well and my freezer is getting pretty full. I always forget to thaw them out when I want to make banana bread so then I end up just not making it. Having it already room temperature on a shelf would be much more helpful. I’m curious how long the bananas stay yellow?
They really don’t discolor too bad since you add so much lemon juice. I have jars that are 2.5 years old right now and just the tops are a little browned but I’m not worried because they’re going to be used for baking anyway. I won’t see it.
Can you use the powdered citric acid instead of the lemon juice? I’m allergic to citrus, but not citric acid. I have done this switch on some other things, but not sure if it would work with bananas.
You absolutely can and I’m sure it would work just fine assuming you know the conversion to citric acid based on the amount of lemon juice? I would possibly dissolve it in just a bit of water to make sure it gets even distributed in the bananas!
How long have you canned bananas like this and have you ever had any issues?
At least 8 years. No issues. Just after year 2 or so, they do start turning grey/brown which is normal and doesn’t affect my banana bread in the least :) I wouldn’t share something I’ve not thoroughly tested and know how it does on the shelf, promise!