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Orange-Banana Jam

Source of Recipe


From "The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving"



List of Ingredients



• 2 cups fresh orange juice with pulp (about 8 oranges)
  
• 1 cup honey
  
• 3 tablespoons bottled lemon juice
  
• 2 pounds very ripe bananas, peeled and chopped
  
• 1 vanilla bean, split
  






Instructions



1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a 4-quart stainless steel or enameled Dutch oven. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean; add to banana mixture. Cook, stirring often, over medium heat for about 25 minutes to gelling point.
   
   
2. Ladle hot jam into a hot jar, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band, and adjust to fingertip-tight. Place jar in boiling-water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
   
   
3. Process jars 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat; remove lid, and let jars stand 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool.
   
   
   Makes about 5 (½-pint) jars
   
   






Final Comments


• Because the sweetener in this jam is reduced, it will be softer when ready to process than jams with higher sugar content. However, it becomes more firm after processing.

• Tricks of the Trade:
Use fresh bananas and cut them into chunks directly into the orange juice in the jam pot. The acid will keep them from browning until you're ready to cook.