Banana and Strawberry Bread

Strawberries are finally coming back in season which means the prices are starting to drop.  I refuse to buy strawberries when they are $5 for a 250gm punnet, it seems like such a ridiculous price to pay and they are usually overripe and mushy because no one else is buying them either.  I actually hate to think what happens to these overpriced strawberries that no one buys, well we can actually guess what happens to them.  They get written off my the supermarket as waste and end up in the bin!! Seems crazy when they could just sell them to the public at a reasonable price and they will be eaten not wasted.

Moving on, I scored 1kg of strawberries for $6 last week and they were in pretty good condition, only a coupe overripe ones.

Storage tips for strawberries…

I like to transfer my strawberries from the container they come in and store them in a Tupperware vent smart container (I only own five pieces of modern tupperware and inherited a vintage set that my grandma never used),  I then place a paper towel in the bottom of the container.  You could also do this with any normal air tight container as well.  Only wash your strawberries just before you are going to eat them as the washing seems to make them go softer quicker.

This Banana and Strawberry Bread has a lovely dense texture with the strawberries adding bursts of tang as you bite in.  Enjoy as is, toast for breakfast and spread some cream cheese on top.

INGREDIENTS

3 Over ripe Bananas
100gm Butter, softened
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Raw Sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla Essence
1 Cup Strawberries, diced (approx 6-8 large strawberries)
2 1/2 Cups Plain Flour
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/4 Cup Milk

LETS PUT IT ALL TOGETHER

1. In a large bowl add the spread and bananas. Mash with a fork. Follow by adding the eggs, raw sugar and vanilla essence. With a whisk combine all the ingredients really well.
2. Add the plain flour, baking powder and milk. Combine with the whisk until the flour is just combined.  Add the strawberries and gently fold through the mix.
3. Spoon into a lined 20cm x 10cm loaf tin. Place into a pre heated 180 degree Celisus oven for 45 minutes or until lightly golden and it bounces back when touched.

Allow to cool before slicing.

Best consumed within 3 days of baking (store in the fridge) or slice and freeze individual slices for school lunch boxes.