Fresh Pineapple, Preserved 5 Ways.

One of my favorite ways to spend time is in the kitchen, challenging myself to preserve one fruit or vegetable in as many different ways possible. It partially stems from my innate desire to be creative, but it's also a result of growing up in a region that offers an abundance of low-cost and often free produce. "Free", as in, friends & neighbors giving me boxes of their garden or orchard bounty in exchange for jam, jelly or pickles. Win/win.

 Pineapple isn't grown in Seattle, of course, but in the darkest days of winter, or on chilly spring days, if I find a good deal on fresh pineapples I might buy 3 or 4 of them and spend a day preserving some of that sweet-sparkly tropical sunshine in a bottle or jar.

Keep in mind - fresh pineapple preserves beautifully. Its natural sugars really shine once they meet heat, and the naturally-present pectin makes it practically fool-proof. (No packets of pectin necessary!) For these reasons, and quite a few more, fresh pineapple is one of my go-to fruits for preserving, any time of the year. 

Apricot~Pineapple Jam

Pineapple Drinking Vinegar

Pineapple Jam

Pineapple-Jalapeño Chutney  

Roasted Pineapple Ketchup

Pear Honey

Have you ever heard of Pear Honey? 

It's an old-fashioned thing. You might be surprised to hear there's no honey involved. The only time bees were needed for this recipe were to pollinate the pears & pineapple, the two main ingredients in Pear Honey.

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Opening up jars: Apricot~Pineapple Jam

iPhone photo  - June 10th, 2011

I just opened up a jar of jam I made nearly a year ago. Part of my promise to myself to open up the older jars in the pantry to make way for my newer projects. You know what? The contents of the jar are even more flavorful and complex than the test jar I sampled right after I made it last July. 

Apricot~Pineapple Jam always reminds me of my grandma....

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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.

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