Oh, friends, let me tell you about a little taste of pure sunshine and nostalgia! Have you ever come across those gorgeous, glistening candied pineapple slices? Maybe tucked into a fruitcake (the good kind!), decorating a holiday treat, or just enjoyed as a special little indulgence? They always felt so fancy and traditional to me.
Well, guess what? Making them yourself is surprisingly easy, and it’s such a rewarding kitchen project! It’s not one of those complicated candy-making nightmares, I promise. With just a few simple ingredients and a bit of gentle simmering, you can create these sweet, chewy gems right in your own kitchen. They’re perfect for snacking, baking, or sharing a little handmade love.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fast: Okay, “fast” is relative in candying, but compared to some methods, this comes together pretty quickly! Most of the time is just gentle simmering and drying.
- Easy: Seriously, if you can stir and simmer, you can make these. No fussy temperatures or complicated steps.
- Giftable: Tie a little bag of these up with a ribbon, and you’ve got a delightful, homemade gift that people will adore.
- Crowd-Pleasing: Who can resist these sweet, chewy, tropical bites? They disappear fast!
Ingredients
You don’t need a whole lot for this little bit of magic. Just gather these simple things:
- 2 (20-ounce) cans sliced pineapple rounds in heavy syrup: We’re using canned because the heavy syrup is actually key to starting our candying process quickly and easily. Plus, the slices are perfectly uniform!
- 3 cups granulated sugar: This is the magic dust that turns the pineapple into a sweet confection.
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup: Don’t skip this! Corn syrup helps prevent the sugar syrup from crystallizing, keeping your candied pineapple smooth and chewy.
How to Make It
Alright, let’s get simmering! Follow these steps, and you’ll have beautiful candied pineapple in no time.
1. Prep the Pineapple and Juice: Start by carefully draining those cans of pineapple. Make sure to reserve 1 1/2 cups of that heavy syrup juice. If you don’t have quite enough (sometimes a little gets lost), just add a splash of water to reach the 1 1/2 cup mark. This reserved liquid is the flavorful base for your syrup.
2. Make the Syrup: Grab a large skillet. I like using a wide skillet because it gives the pineapple slices room to spread out later. Pour in the reserved juice, 2 1/2 cups of the granulated sugar (keep that last 1/2 cup aside for later!), and the corn syrup. Place the skillet over medium heat and start stirring. Stir gently but continuously until all the sugar has completely dissolved. Once you can’t see any sugar granules and the mixture is clear, bring it to a gentle boil and let it simmer away for about 4 minutes. This thickens the syrup just a touch.
3. Simmer the Pineapple: Reduce the heat down to low. Now, carefully add your drained pineapple rings to the skillet. Try to arrange them in a single layer as much as possible so they all get equal time in the syrup. Simmer them slowly, turning the slices frequently. This gentle heat and turning allows the pineapple to absorb the syrup and become translucent. This can take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, depending on your stove and skillet. You’ll see them start to look less opaque and more see-through, like stained glass.
4. Drain and Dry: Once the pineapple is beautifully translucent, carefully remove the slices from the syrup. I use a slotted spoon or tongs for this. Place them on a wire rack set over a baking sheet or wax paper. Let them sit and drip away any excess syrup and start the drying process.
5. Speed Up Drying (Optional but Recommended in Humid Areas!): If you live in a humid climate, air drying can take forever and they might stay a bit sticky. Here’s a pro tip: pop that wire rack (with the pineapple on it, on the baking sheet) into a very low oven, around 200°F (95°C), for about 30 minutes. Keep an eye on them! They’re done when they feel less sticky to the touch.
6. Cool and Sugar Coat: Let the pineapple cool completely on the rack. Once they are cool and dry to the touch (or just slightly tacky, depending on how you dried them), it’s time for their final flourish! Pour the remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar onto a plate or shallow dish. Roll each candied pineapple slice in the sugar, coating both sides. This gives them a beautiful sparkle and helps prevent them from sticking together.
7. Store: Now they’re ready! Store your gorgeous candied pineapple slices in an airtight container at room temperature. Layer them with wax paper if you need to stack them to prevent sticking.
Substitutions & Additions
This recipe is fantastic as is, but if you’re feeling adventurous, here are a couple of ideas:
- Spices: Add a cinnamon stick, a few star anise, or a couple of cloves to the syrup in step 2 while it simmers. This will infuse a lovely warm spice flavor into the pineapple. Remove the spices before adding the pineapple.
- A Touch of Citrus: A strip of orange or lemon peel added to the syrup (and removed before adding the pineapple) can add a bright, complementary note.
- Different Syrup Flavors? While this recipe relies on the specific sugar/corn syrup/pineapple juice base, you could experiment cautiously. However, substituting the corn syrup or using a different liquid base might change the texture and success of the candying process significantly, so proceed with caution!
Tips for Success
- Don’t Rush the Simmer: The translucent step is key. Don’t crank up the heat; low and slow is the way to go to allow the sugar syrup to permeate the fruit properly.
- Proper Drying is Important: If the pineapple is still too wet or sticky before rolling in sugar, the final sugar coating will dissolve, and they’ll clump together. Use the oven drying method if you’re in a humid environment or just impatient!
- Reuse the Syrup! Don’t toss that leftover pineapple syrup! It’s liquid gold. Store it in a jar in the fridge and use it to sweeten iced tea, cocktails, or brush it over cakes for extra moisture and flavor.
- Use a Wide Skillet: This allows the pineapple slices to lie mostly flat, ensuring they all candy evenly without overcrowding.
How to Store It
Keep your finished candied pineapple slices in an airtight container at room temperature. Layering them with wax paper can be helpful to prevent them from sticking together, especially if your climate is a little warmer or humid. They should last happily for up to one week. For longer storage, you could refrigerate, but the texture is often best at room temp.
FAQs
Got questions? Let’s tackle a few common ones!
Can I use fresh pineapple?
This specific recipe is designed for canned pineapple in heavy syrup, which provides the necessary liquid and starts the candying process easily. Using fresh pineapple would require a different method, likely involving pre-cooking the pineapple and making a richer sugar syrup from scratch, which is a bit more involved.
What can I use candied pineapple for?
So many things! Snack on them straight from the container. Chop them up and add them to fruitcake, cookies, muffins, or scones. Use them to decorate cakes, cupcakes, or tarts. They’re also a lovely addition to a cheese board!
Why are my candied pineapple slices still sticky?
They likely didn’t dry long enough after simmering. Make sure they are cool and relatively dry to the touch before rolling in the final sugar. If you skipped the oven step and live somewhere humid, that could be the reason. You can try putting them back on a rack in a very low oven for a bit longer.
Why do you roll them in extra sugar at the end?
Rolling them in sugar gives them a beautiful sparkle, makes them less sticky for handling and storage, and adds a lovely little extra crunch of sweetness on the outside.
Old Fashioned Easy Candied Pineapple Slices
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Step 1: Prep the Pineapple and Juice: Start by carefully draining those cans of pineapple. Make sure to reserve 1 1/2 cups of that heavy syrup juice. If you don't have quite enough (sometimes a little gets lost), just add a splash of water to reach the 1 1/2 cup mark. This reserved liquid is the flavorful base for your syrup.
- Step 2: Make the Syrup: Grab a large skillet. Pour in the reserved juice, 2 1/2 cups of the granulated sugar (keep that last 1/2 cup aside for later!), and the corn syrup. Place the skillet over medium heat and start stirring. Stir gently but continuously until all the sugar has completely dissolved. Once you can't see any sugar granules and the mixture is clear, bring it to a gentle boil and let it simmer away for about 4 minutes. This thickens the syrup just a touch.
- Step 3: Simmer the Pineapple: Reduce the heat down to low. Now, carefully add your drained pineapple rings to the skillet. Try to arrange them in a single layer as much as possible so they all get equal time in the syrup. Simmer them slowly, turning the slices frequently. This gentle heat and turning allows the pineapple to absorb the syrup and become translucent. This can take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, depending on your stove and skillet. You'll see them start to look less opaque and more see-through, like stained glass.
- Step 4: Drain and Dry: Once the pineapple is beautifully translucent, carefully remove the slices from the syrup. Use a slotted spoon or tongs for this. Place them on a wire rack set over a baking sheet or wax paper. Let them sit and drip away any excess syrup and start the drying process.
- Step 5: Speed Up Drying (Optional but Recommended in Humid Areas!): If you live in a humid climate, air drying can take forever and they might stay a bit sticky. Pop that wire rack (with the pineapple on it, on the baking sheet) into a very low oven, around 200°F (95°C), for about 30 minutes. Keep an eye on them! They're done when they feel less sticky to the touch.
- Step 6: Cool and Sugar Coat: Let the pineapple cool completely on the rack. Once they are cool and dry to the touch (or just slightly tacky, depending on how you dried them), it's time for their final flourish! Pour the remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar onto a plate or shallow dish. Roll each candied pineapple slice in the sugar, coating both sides. This gives them a beautiful sparkle and helps prevent them from sticking together.
- Step 7: Store: Now they're ready! Store your gorgeous candied pineapple slices in an airtight container at room temperature. Layer them with wax paper if you need to stack them to prevent sticking.