Jamaica has a rich tradition of banana growing.

In fact, it was once a major exporter for

the country. It was during World War II that Jamaicans had to eat green banana which
was also known as the ‘long grain rice’.

Banana is easily accessible in Jamaica as it’s deeply embedded in our cuisine.

It’s grown abundantly locally, especially in the rural areas. Most households grow it in
their backyard (mine too). We therefore developed numerous creative ways of using this
versatile fruit.

By the way, bananas, when ripe, will spoil easily if not quickly consumed. To avoid
waste, Jamaican housewives tries to include it in their daily recipes.

I found a new way to 'save' my bananas! I simply peel (remove) the skin when ripe and
freeze them. I usually portion them to my expected use or serving size to make it
convenient when I am ready to use them.

Below is a simple but great recipe. It includes creative uses of our some of our spices
too. Try it and enjoy!

Recipe For Jamaican Banana Bread

Ingredients
 ¼ lb. butter
 1 cup granulated sugar
 1 egg beaten
 3 large ripe bananas crushed
 2 cups flour
 2 tsp. baking powder
 1 tsp. cinnamon
 ¼ tsp. nutmeg
 pinch of salt
 ½ cup milk
 2tsp. vanilla
 ¼ cup raisins

Preparation
 Cream butter and sugar
 Add egg to butter
 Add crushed bananas and mix well
 Sift flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt.
 Add flour mixture to butter, sugar and egg mixture along wit milk and vanilla
 Add raisins
 Pour into greased and lined loaf tin and bake at 350° F for one hour or until done.
This recipe allows for 6 yields and can be eaten hot or cold.
For optimum flavor, use bananas with skins that are almost black, as using bananas that are not
overripe will not produce the potent banana flavor that makes good banana bread, and will cause
the texture to be different.
Good luck!