Candied pineapple is a preserved fruit that can be used in recipes or as a side dish. It can be purchased or made at home and is commonly used in holiday baking. The different colors are obtained by adding food coloring, and it can be stored for a long time.
Candied pineapple is a real fruit that has been preserved in sugar. This type of preserved pineapple can be served as is, added to recipes, or used as a side dish. When candied, pineapple can be stored at room temperature and has a long shelf life. Preserved pineapple can be purchased in chunks or in ring form; food coloring is sometimes added to enhance the appearance of the candied pineapple. Most grocery and cooking catalogs feature preserved pineapples year-round, but the product is prominently displayed during the winter holidays.
While candied pineapple can be purchased at the grocery store, it can also be made at home using fresh pineapple. The pineapple is sliced or chopped into chunks and then simmered in simple sugar syrup. Once cooked, the pineapple can be used immediately or stored; sugar acts as a natural preservative. Homemade candied pineapple and the commercially prepared version can be used interchangeably in recipes.
Baked goods like fruitcakes and holiday cookies often contain candied pineapple, cherries and citrus fruits. Candied fruits are used to add a festive, glazed effect to finished baked goods. Candied pineapple can add an unexpected twist to grilled or baked meats; many Hawaiian-inspired recipes include rings or chunks of preserved pineapple.
The most common colors for candy pineapple are natural yellow, green and red. The different shades are obtained by adding food coloring to the sugar syrup before cooking. The colored pineapple tastes the same as the natural version; color is simply an aesthetic change designed to add variety.
Many holiday recipes call for candied fruit, so they’re the easiest to find and buy during the holiday and winter seasons. While preserved pineapple is available year-round, the largest selection of colors and shapes is likely to be found during the holiday baking season. Since pineapple is stored and shelf-stored, buying it at a discount around the holidays and saving it for use for the year is one way to save money on baking ingredients.
The chunky form of candy pineapple is used for fruit pies, cakes, and cookies, while the rings are more often used to garnish finished poultry and meat dishes or to accent pineapple upside-down cake. Each candied pineapple shape can be cut with kitchen shears as needed; smaller pieces may be more desirable for a recipe or as a cake or cupcake decoration.
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