Pineapple-Ginger Preserves
Pineapple-Ginger Preserves
I love pineapple preserves. I make them pretty often. More motivated when I get good price on pineapples like I did recently. I wanted to change things up a little this time. I decided to add candied ginger to the recipe. It turned out to be a really good idea. Just a touch of spice from the ginger to cut through the sweetness of the pineapple. I also added extra lemon juice for tartness. The end result is something special. This makes a great gift for the holidays, too. Thought I would share the recipe with you.
Pineapple-Ginger Preserves
8 cups finely diced fresh pineapple, rind and core removed- about 2 pineapples
2 cups water
3/4 c. lemon juice
1/2 c. candied ginger- or even a little more
6 c. sugar
Place pineapple in a pot with the water, lemon juice and ginger and simmer until pineapple is tender, about 15 minutes. Add sugar and bring mixture to a boil. Cook until mixture reaches gel stage ( 220 degrees F).* Stir from time to time. This should take about 20 minutes, but can take longer. Ladle hot preserves into hot half-pint jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims and adjust lids. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Yield about 9 half-pint jars.
*When you are making jelly recipes that will sometimes say to cook to the jelly (gel) stage and I bet you are thinking “and that is….” There are 3 ways you can check to see if you have cooked your recipe long enough.
1. Use a candy thermometer, attached to the side of the pan and down in the jelly far enough to cover the bulb of the thermometer, but not touching the bottom of the pan. This is the most accurate method.
2. Spoon test by using a cool metal spoon dipped in the jelly and held on its side so the jelly can run off the edge. When jelly is not ready the drops will be light and syrupy. As it gets thicker the drops will falls off the spoon 2 at a time. When it has reached the proper stage two drops will form together and sheet off the spoon.
3. Freezer test just involves spooning a small amount of jelly on a plate and placing it in the freezer for a few minutes, to cool it down quickly. If the mixture gels, it should be done. While waiting for jelly test to cool, remove jelly from heat.
