Monkey Butter Recipe
2 min readSomewhere in the middle of winter just passed, I realized that my motivation to can had disappeared. Since I started canning three years ago, I have built a pantry of more than 2000 jars. I have meats, veggies, fruits, pickles, whole meals, and of course, jams. I had so many half pints of jam, that the shelves were sagging, so when Christmas time came, I put festive tags on about 100 jars and set up a “Jam Stand” in the front yard. I sold every last one. (The grand kids benefited greatly on Christmas morning!.)
As a result, though, I was left with a gaping hole in my pantry. In the middle of winter there isn’t a lot of cheap, fresh, perfectly ripe fruit to turn into jams and jellies.
With research, I ran into a recipe for banana/pineapple/coconut jam, called Monkey Butter. The ingredients are, for the most part, available year-round. I whipped together a batch, and WOW. So, I continued making batch after batch, until that gaping hole in the pantry was full to overflowing! Monkey Butter did one more thing, other than refilling my jam pantry: It re-ignited the canning flame, and I am back on track!
Hope you will give this a try. If you are a fan of tropical fruits, it’s a sure-fire winner!
P.S.: Don’t tell kids that it is made out of actual monkeys. Just sayin’.
MONKEY BUTTER
5 medium-size perfectly ripe bananas (no brown spots) 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple, not drained. 1/4 cup coconut (I prefer ground coconut) 3 cups of white sugar 3 Tbsp lemon juice (use bottled for uniform acidity)Peel and slice bananas, then add all ingredients to a heavy saucepan.
Bring to a boil, stirring often, and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until thick. As the mixture thickens, stir constantly until desired thickness is achieved.
When thick, spoon mixture immediately into hot sterilized jars, apply heated lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
Other fruits can be added, particularly topical fruits such as mango (pictured on the left below.) Also, it is common for the butter to take on a light pink hue when processed. The sample on the right below was not processed, but just stored in the fridge…which I started to do once it became clear that this ambrosia doesn’t hang around long enough to require canning!)
How long is the shelf life on this? And what do you use for coconut? Shavings, flakes, cream, milk, water? Thanks so much I’m excited to know!
I use ground coconut because it is available in bullk at the store. Use whatever form of coconut you like, except liquid. You could even add 1/2 tsp coconut flavoring instead of the dry coconut if you aren’t supposed to eat coconut because of diverticulitis.
I have just opened a jar from more than a year ago, and it is perfect. I have been canning a long, long time and I have no qualms about eating jams that are even ten years old. If you are not up for that, it is fine to keep the jam in any kind of container in the fridge. It may grow mold after two years or so. The sugar preserves it beautifully.
Awesome, thanks!
Sounds good Im going to have to try this, but tell kids its made from real monkeys 🙂
thank’s for sharing.how long is the shelf life?
I am tempted to say “forever”. If you believe the food police, you have to throw everything out after exactly 365 days or you will die. The truth is, if you use correct canning techniques, store the food in a cool, dark place, and the seal remains intact, any canned food will last many years. In fact, there were cans of food opened from a mountain climbing expedition something like 135 years later, while it had no color or nutrition and the texture had deteriorated, it was not poisoned.
I would suggest you use your judgement.
this looks great! Will definitely give it a try.
Bananas are NOT recommended to be canned. They are so dense there is no guarantee that a safe temp is reached in the center. I would either freeze this recipe or make it for the fridge in small batches. Botulism is rare but deadly and crippling when it does strike, even with modern medicine readily available.
We make one batch at a time and it makes about 3 jars. It disapears so quick it is funny.
Made my first batch tonight. Can’t wait to use it for a cupcake filling topped with cream cheese frosting!
In your recipe you said to process jars in a boiling bath for 15 minutes. Isn’t that canning. The recipe has bananas in it. Confused???
Hi, this recipe sounds amazing. I would like to make this as a Christmas gift but I have never made jam before. I am wondering how long you can keep it in the fridge if you do not process it? Will it only last a week or so or will it last for a few months? I am not keen on doing the processing part as I have not done it before and do not have any special equipment.
My neighbor brought me a jar of Monkey Butter a couple months ago and I just opened it..WOW what a great surprise. DELICIOUS!!! I plan on making some this weekend and give out for Christmas gifts along with a quart of my apple pie filling~~~
Where did Kris go! I was a regular follower of her blog, went to the link in my favorites bar and her blog is no longer!! If you know of a new web address for her…please share!
unfortunately I do not know. 🙁
JG
When you say no brown spots, do you mean on the inside or the outside of the banana?
this looks great! let me give it a try.