Home Canned Pineapple Pieces and Pineapple Jelly

One of our local grocery stores (No Frills) held their dollar sale in early June.  At one time, the dollar sales were for food products that we normally would not buy like those pre-made kiddie lunch kits, boxed convenience foods and snacks.  Basically most of what was offered in these earlier sales was foods that were not healthy.  They were laden with sugar, salt, fat and preservatives.  However, the economy has changed and that is being reflected is what people are willing to buy.  The dollar sales have done an about face with foods like fresh pineapple and other produce, mushrooms, lunch meat, pork loin roasts, sliced cheeses being offered.  It is nice to see that real food is being offered.  Of course, I took advantage of the sale!

Fresh pineapples were on for $1 each so I bought two to can.  Store bought pineapple ranges in price from $1.89 to $2.49 so I knew there would be a substantial savings just in canning the pineapple pieces.  I ended up with 5 - 250 ml (half-pint) jars of pineapple pieces for a net savings of at minimum of $8.  There was a lot of the pineapple flavoured syrup left over from the pineapple pieces as well as a few pineapple pieces so I combined them to make a pineapple jelly, something that you can't buy in the grocery stores.   Pineapple jelly can be used as a glaze for ham or pork as well as a spread or as a baking ingredient.  If you were able to buy pineapple jelly at a gourmet shop, it would likely have a price sticker of $6.99 or more.  I ended up with 3 - 250 ml (pint) jars of pineapple jelly for the pantry and almost a full jar for the refrigerator which really increased my net savings.  Note that I used Tattler reusable canning lids on all the jars for the pantry.   There were no seal failures.  I used a reusable Bernardin screw on cap for the refrigerator jar.

The pH of the pineapple jelly was pH 2.7 so adding lemon juice was not necessary.  However, the lemon juice adds a sparkle to the jelly with it's flavour note.  The flavour of the pineapple jelly was delightful so this is a lovely product for my pantry shelves.  I can't wait to use it!

Pineapple Jelly
recipe by:  Garden Gnome

4 c pineapple flavoured light syrup
1 c pineapple pieces
2 tbsp lemon juice
¼ c organic sugar
4 tsp Pomona's pectin
4 tsp calcium water

Bring the syrup and pineapple pieces to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and strain.  Add the lemon juice and calcium water.  Mix the pectin with the sugar.  Return the strained liquid to the heat.  Bring to a boil.  Stir in the sugar/pectin mixture.  Continue cooking 1 - 2 minutes until the sugar mixture is dissolved.  Fill hot jars leaving ¼ - inch headspace.  Wipe rims.  Screw on lids.  Process in BWB canner 10 minutes at altitudes up to 1,000 feet above sea level.  Adjust timing for altitude above 1,000 feet above sea level using the altitude adjustment chart on the Canning FYI page.