Banana Curd

2017 Update: Due to a problem with Photobucket, see here, there will be a lot of recipes without photos. I will be slowly redoing the recipe pages, as best I can, but many other posts will be impossible to replace. I’m doing this in my own time, while continuing to update the blog with new recipes and posts. If you’d like to donate, any amount appreciated, you can do so here. The site will always be free, the recipes will never be locked behind a paywall, but this is a lot of additional work. I’m not demanding or begging, just putting it there so if you feel like repaying my hard work you have that option. I don’t make any money from the site, all that I do here is to help others, I couldn’t charge for that.

 

Whatcha wanna bet mine won’t look like that? (The book is from 1989)

So this recipe is from a book that was included with a box of saved, cherished really, recipes from my Uncle who passed away recently. No sadness, though, he insisted on laughter in his life so we’ll be chipper and fun. He was a good man and I can really tell that these recipes, some of which are yellowing with age, were a point of pride with him. He was an avid jam maker so I’m hoping to dip my toe into that too, no, not in jam! For now we’ll stick to curd, as opposed to it sticking to us. There are a lot of recipes in the collection, the book is something I’ll be revisiting it over time. I think he’d have been glad they being used. And you know that there’s no better than me for trying a bit of everything. Okay, preamble over on to yet another preamble.

Heh, told you. Still taste is all that matters.

I still have a garden post of some interest, but I’m waiting on a fine day to take photos. I’ve been keeping busy, mostly making work to be quite honest. I bought a pair of rose pruning gloves, I grabbed the biggest, most vicious rose and the thorns snapped. What power, dear reader, no, no, it won’t go to Jack’s head, have no fear. I’m taking cutting from roses and collecting seeds from chillies for as long as they’re alive. Not long now sadly. I keep missing my chance with pansy seeds. I’m always too early or too late. I have some more work I can do, it’s all in pieces, buy a bit here and there and put it together in stages. Fun and it really is all coming together. The gestalt that is this garden is giving me a real sense of accomplishment. Okay, I know, onto the curd.

There are actually a lot of curds out there and numerous ways to prepare them. I do have a general Citrus Curd recipe, but I was looking into banana curd. But you know how it goes, you look at a recipe and mean to get around to it, but nothing comes of it. Hence the reason when I stumbled across it in the book I had to try it. Well, I had to try half, two pounds of curd seem a bit extreme. This one can be a little trickier if you’re unused to cooking eggs like this. Just make sure to take the time to temper them correctly and don’t boil this. You can actually adjust the thickness a bit, you’ll feel it thicken as it cooks and if you watch how fast it flows back to the centre of the pot when the spoon is scraped across the bottom you can take it off earlier than the recipe suggests. I went as thick as possible. This curd is luscious and custardy. You’ll taste the banana make no doubt. It’d go amazing on peanut butter cookies. I had it on Gingerbread and it was amazing. It’s so thick, yet smooth. The banana does add a little texture, but it’s in no way unpleasant. Not much to say, be prepared to stay by the pot as any drop in your attention could spell spoiled curd. I’m looking into a sugar free curd too, I heard of it in passing and it made me curious. Consider this a slight detour from all the healthy recipes. They’ll still be my main focus, but it’s nice to take a break and have a treat now and again.

Okay, that’s it for today. I’m still looking at banana flour and trying to determine how I’ll use it. There is one last big garden post in the works as I’ve said. It’s just a bit of fun and a way to share what has really been an amazing year. From here on out I’ll have a lot more permanence in the garden. A greenhouse, three large planters and a bordered dug out area. I have so many thing I want to try next year and so many crops to grow again. This will take years to fully settle down, but I’ve made huge strides going forward this year. I’m sure it doesn’t bother anyone that a recipe blog also blathers on about gardening. As I’ve often said it’s all connected. I hope next year’s harvest will yield even more wonderful recipes. I’m already raring to go. One that note I think I will go. Until later.

Ingredients

125g Caster Sugar or Sugar
60g Butter
2 Large Bananas
2 Medium Eggs (60g to 65g in Shell)
Zest and Juice of 1/2 a Lemon

Method

1. Mash the Bananas with a wooden fork or spoon and set aside.

2. Add the Butter to a heavy-bottomed pan and melt on a medium heat. Add the Banana, Sugar and Lemon Zest and Juice. Stir together and bring up to temperature, until just bubbling, reduce to a medium heat and cook for 10 minutes. Don’t let it boil.

3. Beat the Eggs in a bowl with a wooden fork and beat in 3 Tbsp of the warm Banana Mixture to temper the Eggs. Add into the banana mixture and stir everything together. Cook on a medium to medium-high heat, never letting it boil, until mixture has thickened and coats the back of the spoon or when the mixture stays seperate when the spoon is drawn across the bottom of the pan.

4. Pour into hot sterilized jars and cover. Store in the fridge.

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