People have asked me why I can pineapples, or anything really, when I can buy the same thing at the store.
I have a few answers to this.
- It’s fun
- I control what is in the food I prepare
- Food shortages (Remember the toilet paper during 2020 . . .)
- It can be cheaper
- Inflation
Today I canned pineapples. We don’t typically go through a lot of pineapple but when I was at Costco I saw that they were $1.99 each. With inflation and the prices increasing steadily on food, I thought I’d giving canning it a try.
Pineapple is something that can be water bathed canned. There’s no need for a pressure canner.
Supplies needed
To water bath can, there’s a few supplies you will need.
- Water Bath Canner
- Jar Rack (for inside the canner)
- Canning funnel
- Jar lifter
- Bubble remover/headspace tool
Prep Work
After I have the supplies I need out, I also make sure I have whatever I’m canning out as well. In this case, that’s the pineapple.
First thing is to make sure your jars are nice and clean.
Next, make sure to rinse them well. You do not want any soap residue left on your jars and chance that getting in your food.
Fill your canner with Water.
Be sure to add enough water that it will cover the jars you are using. I like to make sure my jars are covered with at least 2 inches of water on top.
I have hard water so to help my jars not be cloudy, I will add a teaspoon of Cream of Tartar. A splash of vinegar can also help.
Then, I put my clean jars into the water of my canner and turn the heat to medium as I prep my food.
I am planning on cooking a simple syrup so then my pineapples will be warm going into my canner. Warm food needs warm jars and warm water in the canner. Cold food needs cold jars and cold water in the canner. You want everything to be the same heat.
It used to be recommended that you heat your lids. Supposedly, you don’t need to anymore. I still do. I feel like I get a better seal when I warm them up. They don’t need to be in boiling water, just warm/hot water.
To cover my pineapples in my jars, I made a simple syrup. 6 cups water with 3/4 cups of sugar. I let it boil for a few minutes. If I’m not ready for it I leave it on my stove, sometimes I will leave my heat on some until I’m ready to use it.
I do know that some people will cover their pineapples with store bought pineapple juice. I have never done it and I don’t think there is anything wrong with it, I just prefer to use a simple syrup when canning my fruit.
We typically use pineapple tidbits the most, so I cut the edges of my pineapple off and cut out the core. Then I sliced the pineapple into small tidbits.
Canning Pineapple
When you’re ready to load your jars with fruit, use the jar lifter to lift the jar out, dump the water out and place it on a cooking sheet. (I like to use a cooking sheet for this part. I tend to be a bit messy, and this makes it easy to clean up).
Using the funnel, load your fruit into the jars.
Then cover with the simple syrup, leaving 1 inch headspace. (Headspace in the space from the top of the jar to whatever you’re putting into the jar.)
Check your headspace. I left 1 inch of headspace.
Don’t forget to debubble.
Wipe your rims. There are a lot of people who say to use white vinegar to wipe your rims, but I tend use warm/hot water usually. I will use vinegar if I’m canning something greasy.
Place your lids on top of your clean jar rims. I take it directly from the water and place on top. There’s no need to dry it before.
Now you’ll want your ring on, finger tight. (You don’t use your wrist to tighten the ring.)
Place in the canner using the jar lifter.
Double check your water level, making sure that your jars are completely covered. (They need to remain covered during the whole process as well.)
One your water reaches a full rolling boil; you start your processing time. I processed the pineapple for 15 minutes.
Once the time is done, let them sit for 5-10 minutes. Then I will lift the jars up slightly with my canning rack and let them sit for another 5-10 minutes.
Use the jar lifter and remove the jars from the canner and place on a towel.
You’re done! Let your jars sit, undisturbed, for at least 12 hours. I like to let mine sit for 24 hours before I touch them. You’ll be tempted to press the top of the lid to see if they sealed, refrain. You can touch them tomorrow. 🙂
Canning is so fun!
Canning pineapples is easy and fun.
Honestly, canning can be rather addicting. Once you get started, it’s hard to stop!
Ready to try something else? Check out my newest obsession. . . dehydrating!
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