I love buying fresh pineapples and letting them get nice and ripe. This is the perfect time to make jam for use in some Christmas thumbprint cookies. Plus, it is awesome for any pastry that might happen to get made for hubby's sweet tooth.
Pineapple Jam
Wash, peel, core, and dice one large pineapple into chunks, then finely chop it for the jam. Remove any of the hard "eyes" or fibers before cooking. It should be about 4 cups of pineapple.
Recipe
4 cups pineapple finely chopped
2 cups sugar
1 lemon sliced very thinly (if too much white pulp, remove it)
1 cup water
Combine the chopped pineapple, lemon slices, water, and sugar in a large pot.
Bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly so that it does not burn.
Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring constantly for about 25-30 minutes, or until the jam thickens to your likeness.
You can test if it has jelled by dropping a teaspoon full onto a plate that has been in the freezer while cooking. It will stay in place and not run on the plate if it is thick enough for jam.
Spoon the hot pineapple jam into heated jelly jars and wipe the rims clean before adding the lids and rims.
Place the jars into the water bath canner and process for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool overnight before removing the rings and labeling. Enjoy having this jam on the pantry shelf for all your recipes.
Tepache
1 1/2-gallon jar
1 cup sugar (I used coconut sugar)
6 cups filtered-non chlorinated water
1 3" cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
This is a fermented drink that is a favorite of Mexico. Nothing in my home goes to waste if I can find a useful way to use it. So, I saved the Pineapple rind and core for this fermented drink.
First, make sure the rind of the pineapple is washed thoroughly to remove any bacteria or dirt. Prep the pineapple , since I already trimmed and cored the pineapple for the jam, this step was done.
I placed everything into a large jar that I use for fermenting and covered the pineapple mixture with water. I stirred it lightly to mix it all together and dissolve the sugar.
Let the Tepache ferment on the counter for 24 or 36 hours, burp the jar occasionally to let the gases escape.
When the ferment is done, strain the liquid through cheesecloth to remove any particles before drinking.
Tepache is a fabulous drink on its own or poured over ice, but my favorite is to add it as a cocktail mixer.
Stay tuned for more canning and preserving as I prep the harvest for the pantry.
