When I made these, I had every intention of using them as garnish for cocktails. But they sat there, in that bag, on the shelf just to my right. I nibbled. I admit it. I nibbled away and soon they were gone. And soon, there will be more.
I don’t blog about candy very often. It’s not something that many of us make anymore. And, for some of us, sugar is hot topic. I have to watch my sugar level, which is why I merely nibbled and did not gobble them down. It did take days and not hours, but if you make these you’ll be quite tempted.
You’ll find countless recipes for candying pineapple, in books and on the web. This recipe is my amalgam from a dozen good ideas on the web. Most of the recipes call for cooking the pineapple in a super charged syrup made by adding corn syrup to a base of sugar + water.
After you have cooked the pineapple, do not, do not throw the cooking liquid away. It’s pineapple syrup pure and simple. Let it cool and put away your refrigerator. Making a pina colada this summer? You can add in some of this syrup. A pineapple scented margarita? Absolutely.
Candied Pineapple
Yield: ~100 pieces depending on your pineapple size and your cutting style
Ingredients:
- 1 pineapple, medium and ripe
- 2 cups of water
- 3 cups of sugar
- ⅔ cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup granulated sugar, additional for coating the candied chunks
Preparation:
Peel the pineapple and slice the fruit into bite-sized chunks. Make them “squarish” for eating or “longish” if you plan on skewering them and using them as a cocktail garnish.
Put the water, sugar, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the pineapple chunks.
Cook until the pineapple pieces become lighter in color. They will not become perfectly transparent, but they will lighten.
Put two cooling racks on your counter, with paper towel or foil under them.
Remove the pan from the heat. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pineapple chunks to the cooling racks. Leave for a day until well cooled and dried. They will still be slightly tacky, but they are “dry.”
Place the 1 cup of sugar in a bowl. Take 5 dried pineapple chunks at a time into the bowl and roll the sugar over them. Store the chunks in a plastic bag. If you plan on using within a week, you do not need to refrigerate.
Source: Brian O’Rourke
Photo Information: Canon T2i, EFS 60mm Macro Lens, F/3.5 for1/50th second at ISO‑640