Sure, you can substitute. I'm not wild about bottled lemon juice as far as flavor goes, but it's perfectly safe and acceptable to use in something like this.

Carol

Nellie & Joe's lime juice is very good, I buy it by the case and go through quite a lot throughout the year. for a fruiot based jam, I like adding the acid blend, which has a more complex tartness.

Thanks so much for your help. I made the jam and it turned out beautifully. I'm treating myself right now to a slice of bread spread with peanut butter and the banana jam. I've never had it before....mmmm...that's good! :)

Willodee,

If you love that recipe, try these. My hubby is a HUGE banana fiend, so these are his favorites.
The banana nut bread jam is particularly yummy.

Banana Nut Bread Jam
Shared with recipegoldmine.com by Treva

10 ripe bananas, pureed (need 3 cups) - I prefer fresh, firm bananas
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups toasted walnuts, minced
1 box pectin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, optional

Mix bananas, walnuts, lemon juice and powdered pectin in large kettle. Stir while bringing to a full rolling boil. All at once add sugars. Stirring continuously, heat until full rolling boil. Continue to heat 1 minute. Fill jars to 1/4 inch of top seat with two-part lid and ring. Boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Makes about 3 pints.

Cranberry Banana Jam

3 cups (750 mL) cranberries, washed (frozen ones are fine)
1 cups water (375 mL)
2 cups (500 mL) ripe banana, mashed (about 4 medium)
7 cups (1.8 L) sugar
2 tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice
1 pouch (85 mL) liquid pectin

In a large pot  at least 6 quart (6 L) capacity  combine the cranberries with the water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. The cranberries will disintegrate and thicken a lot  this is perfectly fine.
Now add the mashed banana, sugar and lemon juice and bring the mixture back to a boil over high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in the liquid pectin, making sure youÂve squeezed out the entire pouch.

Ladle immediately into hot, sterilized jars (see "Jam Production"). Cover with new lids, and screw on the bands.
Makes about 8 1-cup (250 mL) jars.

Jeanne's Decadent Banana Split Conserve

Recipe By :Katie
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
4 cups thoroughly mashed bananas
5 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup bottled lemon juice
1 teaspoon Fruit Fresh (absorbic acid)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 package liquid pectin -- (3 ounce)
3 tablespoons pure cocoa powder
2 tablespoons light rum or rum extract
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

In a medium stockpot, combine the mashed bananas, lemon juice and Fruit Fresh. Gradually add in the sugar, cocoa powder and butter. Over medium heat, heat the mixture stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved.

Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly so it will not scorch. Stir in the liquid pectin and return to a full rolling boil for 1 more minute, stirring constantly. Skim off any foam. Remove the stockpot from the heat, stir in the walnuts and the rum. Ladle into sterilized jars leaving 1/4 inch head space. Wipe rims. Cap and seal. Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes for half-pints or 15 minutes for pints. Yields 9 to 10 half-pints.

**Note: I made this and thought it needed more of a chocolate flavor. Either add more cocoa or change the rum with a chocolate liqueur.

Island Banana Jam

3 cups ripe bananas, mashed (about 6 medium)
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
½ cup diced orange pulp
1/2 cup dried coconut
1 T lemon juice (or half lemon, half lime juice)
1 box powdered pectin
1 tsp. EVER-FRESH or Fruit Fresh Fruit Protector (optional)
6 cups sugar
2 T dark or light rum

Mix bananas, pineapple, orange, coconut, lemon juice, Ever-Fresh, and pectin in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add sugar and bring back to rolling boil, boil hard 1 minute. Remove from heat, add rum, and skim off foam.
Ladle into prepared half-pint jars, and process in a BWB for 10 minutes.

If you look at KatieC's Banana Split Conserve you'll see it has a great deal of bottled lemon juice. That's because yellow bananas, unlike other fruits, are low acid. While the limit for BWB canning is 4.6, bananas run 5.0-5.2 pH. That's why some state regulations for Farmers' Markets do not allow homemade banana butter to be sold.

As you look at Banana Jam recipes, consider the level of acidification and the source. I would be very wary of canned banana jams that don't have good levels of acid, either through the addition of citrus juice or through the combination of bananas with another high-acid fruit.

Carol

Carol,

I've made all of the above without any issues. Thanks for the heads-up on the acidity though.

I'm just saying that personally I wouldn't make a banana jam without additional acid, specifically the banana nut bread jam. The others either have added acid or the bananas are blended with high acid fruits like cranberries.

Perhaps there's enough sugar to bind up any water and preclude problems. I don't know. And when I looked up the recipe online I couldn't figure out the original source so that wasn't any help either.

Either way, I just wanted to give canners a heads-up on the issue. I'm not telling anyone what to do.

Carol

Carol,
The banana nut bread recipe is from surejell. But I agree with you that with only 1 tablespoon for lemon juice, I wouldn't trust it.
Melly

It's one my hubby's favorite jams, but I wonder if adding more lemon would affect the taste. I guess to each his/her own with certain recipes though.

BTW Carol, my Thai Basil Jelly turned out wonderful!

Wow, reading this thread after the one about the Sure Jell pumpkin butter recipe, I think I will contact Kraft too. I guess since canning isn't their only business, they don't have canning-safety specialists on staff the way Ball does. But wow.

Melissa

The banana pH issue was a very good topic to bring up and make people aware, and the advise given has been spot on. The only reason I opened the thread was to do the same thing ... but found it was already done. I think more people are apt to 'play' around with jam/jelly recipes (minimal risk compared to low acids) but most people do not realize the relative high pH of bananas as opposed to other fruits we are used to.

Just to put this in somewhat of a perspective, our company produces banana puree ... both canned and aseptic. In a typical 4000 lb batch of reconstituted banana puree we will add approx (depends on pH) 12 lbs of granular citric acid. One thing I do see, however, is that the pH will vary a good deal and depends on seasonal growing conditions, maturity of the bananas, etc. I have actully seen banana puree with a higher pH than that given.

Years ago, I worked at an electronics company where we used powered metals for brazing. One of the mixes of binders was amyl acetate, and nitro cellulose. The smell was like bananas. After that, when I smell bananas, I think of that goo we made.