Banana Nut Bread Baked in a Jar

Recipe View Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C). Thoroughly grease the insides of eight 1-pint, straight-sided, wide-mouth canning jars. (5 minutes)

Recipe View In a large mixing bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. (7 minutes)

Recipe View Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the mashed bananas and water until well combined. (3 minutes)

Recipe View In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. This ensures even distribution of the leavening agents and spices. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Gently fold in the chopped pecans or walnuts. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Pour the batter into the prepared jars, filling each jar about halfway full. Ensure the rims of the jars are clean by wiping away any spilled batter. Do NOT put lids on jars for baking. (10 minutes)

Recipe View Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 45 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. (45 minutes)

Recipe View While the bread is baking, sterilize the canning jar lids and rings in boiling water. (20 minutes)

Recipe View Once the bread is baked, remove the jars from the oven one at a time. Immediately wipe the rims clean, and place a sterilized lid and ring onto each jar. Tighten the rings. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Allow the jars to cool completely on a wire rack. As they cool, you should hear a 'ping' sound, indicating that the jars have sealed properly. If a jar doesn't seal, you can either refrigerate and consume it within a week, or process it in a boiling water bath for longer shelf storage.