Pineapple~Rum Preserves with Dates & Vanilla. Mae West-style.

When Mae West said "Too much of a good thing can be wonderful" she must have been talking about vanilla beans. For me, there's no such thing as using vanilla "too much", or maybe I should say, "too often". This is my third batch of preserves in two weeks -- all different recipes -- that includes vanilla beans.

If you've been following my blog, I hope you aren't getting tired of vanilla. If you are, just leave the vanilla bean out of the recipe. Even without vanilla, I promise the preserves will still be full of big, voluptuous, over-the-top flavors.

I think Mae would approve.

Fresh Pineapple Chunks

Add lemon juice, sliced dates, rum, sugar and a vanilla bean.

(Rum, like the vanilla bean, is an optional ingredient.)

 So easy...just stir everything together and let the mixture sit in the fridge, covered, overnight. (This part is called maceration!)

 This is how the mixture looks after macerating overnight: Sugar + Fruit = Syrup

Day 2: Boil for 10 minutes, remove vanilla bean, and that's it.

You're done!

 You can eat your preserves now, as a spread for toast, or poured over ice cream or cheesecake, or as a filling for pastries. Or keep the preserves in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to a month. The preserves will freeze nicely, for up to 6 months. Optionally you can ladle the preserves into jars, seal and process, and they'll keep in the pantry for a year.

Even if you've never made pineapple preserves before, or any preserves for that matter,  I really think you should give this simple overnight recipe for Pineapple~Rum Preserves with Dates & Vanilla a try.

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Another one of my favorite Mae West quotes?

"I'll try anything once, twice if I like it, three times to make sure." 

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You might just find yourself tempted to make these irresistible pineapple preserves over and over again.

PS Check the recipe link for inspiring ideas for using the leftover vanilla bean!