I like my bananas green. Well, almost green. There is nothing worse than biting into a mushy banana or putting an almost mushy banana on cereal and then pouring milk over it. I prefer to eat bananas on the non-ripe side. I will use a yellow banana in a smoothie; but once they start to get brown, I’m done. I try to buy only what I need, but leftover, yellow-brown bananas are always hanging around my kitchen. And I hate throwing them away.
Yes, I hear you. Make banana bread, you say. Trouble is, I’m not a fan of banana bread either. I mean you have to use mushy bananas, so there’s that. And they get so sweet, the taste, even in bread, is overpowering. What’s a girl to do? Today, I decided to bake banana bread but find a recipe that toned down the banana flavor. I had some ideas—maybe sour cream, yogurt, or lime essential oil. After exploring recipes online, I found ideas that supported my thinking, and the baking began.
To give credit where credit is due, here is link to the recipe I started with: https://reluctantentertainer.com/sour-cream-banana-bread/
What did I change? I used Einkorn flour, so I added an extra ¼ cup for a total of 1 ¾ cups of flour. (I typically add an extra ¼ cup when using Einkorn.) I followed the rest of the recipe as given, except I stirred in three drops of Lime Essential Vitality before I put the batter in the pan.
I used a 9 x 5 Pampered Chef stoneware pan for the baking. The recipe said the batter would fill the pan about ¾ full. Though I followed the recipe, I’d say I had a bit more batter than that. Maybe that’s why it took so long to bake. I baked the bread at 350 for 50-55 minutes as directed. I checked it prior to that. It required more baking time, and the top started to get overdone. I turned the oven down to 325 and then to 300 and baked about 5 more minutes after each temperature change. I also covered the pan during the last 10 minutes so it wouldn’t be black on the top by the time it was baked through. If I was doing this recipe again, I would bake it at a lower temperature from the beginning.
How did it taste? I have to say, despite the adjustments in the baking time, the sour cream and Lime Vitality did what I had hoped they would do! The bread is delicious. The lime is not overpowering. You might even be able to add 4 drops, but it depends on how strong you like the oil flavor to come through. I suspect the sour cream is what cut the banana flavor the most. If you wanted more lime flavor, you could add another drop of lime to a glaze to spread on top. Just mix a glaze using confectioners sugar and water or milk. Stir in a drop of lime. Drizzle over bread.
This recipe was a bit more work than the recipe I usually use; however, the flavor made it worth it. Hopefully, I have found a recipe that will save those mushy bananas from being wasted.
