Pineapple Jam
Making jam is easier than you think. I know the whole canning process can be intimidating, but you can actually skip that and either freeze it or give it to friends. Who wouldn’t love to receive some homemade jam?
Ingredients
2 pineapples (4 1/2 cups chopped pineapple)
5 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 - 1 3/4 oz. package powdered fruit pectin
Method
Pare the pineapples, making sure to remove all the eyes and brown parts. Cut the pineapples into chunks approximately 1” in size. Discard the core, or freeze and use for another purpose (smoothies).
In a food processor, coarsely chop the pineapple chunks in 1-cup batches, using about 3-4 quick pulses. Placed the chopped pineapple with the juice, into a large measuring cup. Continue this process until you reach 4 1/2 cups of chopped pineapple.
Place the pineapple into an 8 quart, heavy bottomed stainless steel pot, add the pectin and stir well to combine. Place the pot over high heat and bring the pineapple mixture to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Immediately add the sugar and return the mixture to a rolling boil, for exactly 1 minute, continuing to stir constantly. Remove from the heat and skim off the foam. Stir and skim for about 8 minutes until the jam thickens slightly.
Using a wide mouthed funnel, ladle the jam into sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Secure the lids and let come to room temperature before freezing or refrigerating. Gift a few jars and enjoy some for yourself. The jam is great on toast or as a topping on ice cream.
If you decide not to freeze, you can also follow online instructions for canning/preserving jams.
