Canned Pineapple

1. Wash all your pineapples that you will be canning. Either with warm water or in a warm water bath with 1/4 cup vinegar and 1 tablespoon baking soda sprinkled in the water. Then rinse your pineapples well.
2. Remove pineapple tops and add to your compost. Remove the skins and cores and set aside in large pot. (to make juice later)
3. In a small pot add water and sugar and bring to a light boil to dissolve the sugar, stirring occasionally. Keep on a very low simmer to keep it hot. Make sure you have enough water sugar mixture that will cover your pineapple when you add them next.
4. Chop or mince your pineapple and place into the sugar syrup and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Place your pineapple and syrup mixture into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space, remove air bubbles (use a chop stick and stick down inside the sides of the jar to remove bubbles), wipe rims clean with a cloth with a little vinegar on it and place your seal and finger tighten the rims onto the jars. (make sure seals and rims have been washed with hot soapy water and rinsed well, do not boil seals to sterilize)
6. Place your jars of pineapple in your hot water bath making sure the water covers the jars by one inch. Bring to a boil and allow to boil for 20 mins for 250 ml jars. Turn off the heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes before removing the jars.
7. Place on your counter undisturbed for 24 hours. Remove rings and check each jar to make sure they have sealed. Wipe down the jars, label and place in your storage and use within a year.
8. Any unsealed jar can be either re bathed or placed in your fridge and use within a week.
9. To make pineapple juice, cover your cores and peels with filtered water and bring to a boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer for 30 -45 mins. You can add a little sugar if you desire.
10. Strain or remove the cores and place your hot juice into hot sterilized jars and repeat the same water bath process as the fruit above.

*making the juice is a great way to increase the use of your pineapples an you will also get all of the beneficial healthy ingredients pineapples have to offer in a more natural state than when buying store bought juice. Use as you would any pineapple juice.