Simple. Comforting. A Household Staple. It’s Banana Bread

KT’s Going Bananas

By: Katelyn Hughes 10/23/2020

Got bruised bananas? You know what they say, one man's garbage…

....is another man's freshly baked loaf of deliciousness!

Bananas were not always just another fruit in the counter basket. Hailing from Southern Asia, these potassium-packed golden fruits are actually a man-made selectively bred concoction. Therefore, before refrigeration, bananas would subsequently rot before Americans could really get their hands on them.

In the early 1930’s it is expected that around 15 million people were jobless and had no idea what to expect with each passing day. Thankfully, with the advent of Freon and in-home refrigeration boxes, accompanied by the introduction of baking powders as leavening agents, baking and over-ripened bananas took the simplicity of cooking and the need for economical living to a whole new level. Thus, the dawn of a loaf of bread that would unknowingly become a staple in so many homes. Because of this, families were able to quickly whip up and store a fluffy loaf to fill up their bellies for breakfast, a snack, or even dessert, all while preventing waste.

Up until the 1980s, banana bread was meant to be simplistic. The Depression Era was a time in which most could not afford, much less fathom throwing anything away. However, much like a cake recipe, as the economy became more stable, banana bread began to evolve with each passing decade, further solidifying its spot on the kitchen counter and in fridges in homes across America.

Some might add nuts.

Others, maybe some chocolate chips. Have you ever tried it with toasted oats on top? What about muffins or even French toast?! The options have become endless. It is easy and inexpensive to make, fun for the whole family, and gets those not so pretty bananas out of your fruit basket. Waste not, want not right?

When I think of banana bread, my mind drifts off to warm & comforting feelings, like memories of breakfasts with family and crisp fall mornings. I used to love waking up in the morning to smelling a fresh loaf coming straight from the oven. With five of us in the house, it never lasted long. Nothing like a warm slice of mom's banana bread, with a hot cup o' joe, to start my day.

Now that I own my own kitchen, I am making handed down family classics and even adding my personal twist. One thing in particular that I and apparently everyone else fell back on is one classic recipe that you should be able to guess by now. Banana bread. Much like during the Depression, Covid - 19 has found some people learning a completely new way of life. With a spike of unemployment cases recorded at 23.08 million in April of 2020, experimenting with home baking has suddenly surged up on the list of things to keep yourself from going quarantine crazy.

As it turns out, banana bread recipe searches have skyrocketed across the nation during our current Pandemic. It does not surprise me that something that was once a turning point, becoming a household must-have during such difficult times, is now, once again, becoming a widespread phenomenon. Just this morning, as I was writing and editing this blog, I took a mental break to take a scroll through social media, only to be greeted first by a lovely post for, you guessed it, a different and might I add amazing looking banana nut muffin recipe. (Broken Oven Baking)

So, I say why not add one more to the ever-growing repertoire of banana bread recipes. This simple recipe has been my go-to for quite some time. It is a denser loaf, loaded with bananas & leaves the baker plenty of room for creativity. I went crazy and swirled mine with my original cheesecake batter before sending it off into the oven.

Going Bananas - KTs Quarantine Banana Bread

A simple loaf that you can make your own <3

Ingredients:

3 large, ripe bananas

1 stick of butter or margarine (melted)

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups of flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure your rack is situated in the center.

2. Grease pan of your choice (I use a 9 inch baking dish with mini loaf dividers) and set aside

3. In a medium bowl, add peeled bananas and melted butter & mash with a fork until smooth.

4. Whisk in vanilla & eggs, one at a time, until blended. Do not over whisk.

5. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. (sift flour for best results)

6. In thirds, slowly fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients, until fully combined. Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom as you go to ensure you have incorporated all of the dry ingredients.

7. (at this time you can add any additional ingredients you would like to jazz up your loaf. Keep in mind, any extra moisture you add into your cake is going to affect the texture of the outcome.)

8. Pour mixture into your greased pan.

9. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out from the center(thickest point), clean.

10. Let the loaf rest for at least 30 mins to cool before cutting.

REFERENCED MATERIALS

“The Banana.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana. Accessed 21 10 2020.

Broken Oven Baking. “Banana Nut Muffins.” The Cozy Plum, 22 10 2020,

https://www.facebook.com/brokenovenbaking/posts/193720202316063.

Accessed 22 10 2020.

Hamel, PJ. “A Short History of Banana Bread.” King Arthur Baking, 23 February 2017,

https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2017/02/23/short-history-of-bananabread.

Accessed 21 October 2020.

Henesy, Declan. “Lockdown loaf: The history of banana bread.” Seconds History, 21

April 2020, https://www.secondshistory.com/home/history-of-banana-bread.

Accessed 22 October 2020.

Taylor, Oliver. “10 Fruits, Nuts, And Vegetables You Did Not Know Were Man-Made.”

LISTVERSE, 11 December 2018. Accessed 22 October 2020.

**all photographs in this blog are my images. Please do not use for any purpose other than your viewing pleasure, thank you!**