As a student of nutrition science, I have mixed feelings about canning as a method of preservation. Loss of nutrient value due to high-heat processing is definitely one of my main concerns, but the inherent characteristics of many canning recipes- high salt or sugar contents, most notably- can be an even bigger turn off to someone looking to put up healthful foods. Nevertheless, I did can a small variety of jams this summer for spreading on toast and stirring into yogurt, and have every intention of again exploring the many flavor and texture possibilities of jam and whole-fruit preserves this year. After all, happiness is definitely a part of the human health equation; a life completely void of granulated sucrose would be, well, a little less sweet.
Last month I decided to try my hand at pineapple jam. In an attempt to mimic brand X’s pineapple Greek yogurt, I settled on this Ball Blue Book recipe and am glad I did. The little bits of lemon give the jam an extra layer of brightness that the pineapple alone could not achieve. Though I haven’t tried it, I think this jam would also make an excellent Polynesian-inspired glaze for chicken or fish.
Pineapple Jam
Makes about 3 half-pints
Ingredients:
- 1 quart finely chopped, cored, peeled pineapple (about 5 pounds)
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced and seeded
- 1 cup water
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepot. Bring slowly to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook rapidly to gelling point; as the mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Remove from heat. Skim foam, if necessary. Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe rims, adjust two-piece caps, and process for 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner.
Recipe from the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving.
Susan
April 13, 2013
I made this recipe with pineapple I had stored in my freezer. Unfortunately I got confused by the 1 quart finely chopped……(about 5 lbs). I weighed out 5 lbs. of frozen pineapple, through it in a the pot with everything else and it never made it to jam! A big mistake on my part.
In very simple terms, if you buy a 5 lbs. fresh pineapple, it should yield a quart (4 cups) of pineapple after it is peeled, cored and chopped. You need 4 cups to make this recipe.
I don’t normally have issues like this, unfortunately it was a huge waste of really good pineapple.
Rebekah
April 20, 2013
What a bummer! I know a lot of people use frozen fruit to make jam, but I’m hesitant to do so myself. Fresh is best, especially when canning; while I know this was not your issue, I kinda of feel weird processing fruit that’s sat in my freezer for months; and even if it isn’t in your freezer for long, freezing alone changes the fruit’s cell structure.
Anyways, this recipe, in which I did use 5 lbs of prepped fruit, did yield a jam that wasn’t all pectin-rich and gooey (I notice a lot of pineapple jam recipes ask for added pectin); while you could spread it, it was more preserve-like, which was what I wanted for my little yogurt snack packs! I’m pretty sure a higher sugar to fruit ratio would have yielded a more classic jam consistency, but alas, I’m always trying to cut down on sugar when possible. This year, I’m looking to use mostly maple syrup and honey in my sweet cannables, which also affects the consistency. Since I’m the one mostly eating the food I put up, I’m more than willing to sacrifice “classic” textures for lower sugar products, though I’m gonna get creative this year and find natural sources of pectin to add when suitable.
Sorry for the confusion!
E. Conley
May 3, 2013
well, just tried this on a whim. My 7yr old loves fresh pineapple, but i knew he couldn’t finish it before it went bad. Hope it turns out good, considering it was my 1st home canning attempt =\
But I’m planing on much more with all the more small batch recipes out there now, I’ve decided to get into it.