Pineapple and Pineapple Juice

[haresfur]

I think maybe a topic to discuss all drink-things pineapple is in order.

Just made some not very good zombies last night. Probably had something to do with not having any orgeat and a lot of issues getting the sweetness right. But my main questions right now have to do with pineapple for drinks.

First, do you make your own pineapple juice? How? I cut a bunch of chunks and ground the heck out of them with the mini-processor that attaches to my immersion blender. Ended up with pineapple sauce. Strained what I could through a tea strainer and got about half juice, half foam. Made do with that. Should I have just gone with a can of frozen concentrate?

Second, I was using a Delmonte Gold pineapple. This is a pretty new variety with more sweetness and less acidity than others. The spears were pretty tasty after sitting in the drink but this can't be true to older recipes. Do you find you have to adjust for the acidity in your pineapple juice? How would I go about it? Are there other varieties that are preferable for mixing drinks?

Finally, given the tastiness of the spears and the other half sitting in my fridge, I was thinking of soaking it in rum or something for eating/garnishing. Any recipes you would be willing to share?

Oh yeah, any hints for cutting the things up without losing half the fruit trying to get rid of the last deep brown nubbins?

Hope that's enough to start but please add anything else regarding the finer points-pineapple.

[Chris Amirault]

I use the little Dole cans for juice. I don't think that there's enough cost benefit to use a whole pineapple for juicing considering the pretty good quality of the cans. In addition, the Dole juice cans are the standard for most drink recipes, even in the tiki world.

Speaking of which, I have grown accustomed to tasting and adjusting the sweet/tart level of most pineapple drinks, given that, for example, Jeff Berry (of tiki drink fame) seems to have a sweeter palate than I do. You just add a bit more sweet if it's too tart and a bit more tart if it's too sweet (and then, of course, record your adjustments).

As for soaking in rum, I always have a homemade pineapple rum in the liquor cabinet: soak one part chopped or crushed fresh pineapple in two parts rum. (I have no rum recommendations, as I usually just use a little of this and that, emptying out bottles and trying to get a decent balance.) If you use that infusion for half of the rum in a daiquiri, say, it's a fine drink.

[feste]

Every time I've used fresh pineapple puree it's ended up being just that, puree. Fluffy and thick and almost fibrous. The texture almost distracts from the pure candy-like pineapple flavor I'm looking for.

Try making a sugar syrup and marinating chopped pineapple in it overnight, then pressing the pieces. The sugar causes the juice to ooze out of the pineapple, and you get a rich, very pineapple-y flavored liquid. There's something about the equilibrium of the sugar content of the syrup versus that of the fruit that causes the juice to leach out into the syrup. I checked Harold McGee but still am not sure of the rules of this.

Also, I skin the fruit but don't bother cutting out all the eyes. I don't notice any additional tannic element like some fruits and it is far easier and results in more fruit this way.

[prasantrin]

This isn't quite what you're looking for, but I wonder how cocktails made with Delia Smith's Pineapple Cooler would taste. I remember seeing her make it on her TV show years ago, and always wanted to try it.

As for cutting up a pineapple, although it takes more time, I cut out the eyes using the little loop thing on my vegetable peeler. If you look at this peeler, you can see a good example of the loop thing. And when the peeler doesn't work, I pinch the eye with my fingers and give it a little twist. The eye will usually twist right out. I always take them out because they make my tongue itchy, but if they're being pureed, anyway, I don't know if they have the same effect.

[haresfur]

This isn't quite what you're looking for, but I wonder how cocktails made with Delia Smith's Pineapple Cooler would taste.  I remember seeing her make it on her TV show years ago, and always wanted to try it. 

As for cutting up a pineapple, although it takes more time, I cut out the eyes using the little loop thing on my vegetable peeler.  If you look at this peeler, you can see a good example of the loop thing.  And when the peeler doesn't work, I pinch the eye with my fingers and give it a little twist.  The eye will usually twist right out.  I always take them out because they make my tongue itchy, but if they're being pureed, anyway, I don't know if they have the same effect.

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Interesting I guess this cooler ferments with wild yeast. Wonder if it is imported on the skin or just from the air. Sounds like it is worth a try since it wouldn't cost anything if you were buying a pineapple already.

Chris, I'll have to look for the little cans of juice. Somehow I thought pineapple would just juice up like an orange.

Off to infuse some rum...

[Kent Wang]

I've tried chopping up just the core of a pineapple, into centimeter-size pieces, then covering with white rum (Flor de Cana). I keep it in the fridge (maybe optional) and shake it a few times a day. After about four days the infusion is ready. In some ways, it is better than fresh pineapple juice because it doesn't have the sweetness, just the aromatic, pineapple-y elements.

I don't bother straining as you only have a few tiny bits of pineapple and I like that. A fine-mesh strainer would work, or a Büchner Funnel.

What I like about this method is that it extracts a lot of pineapple flavor without extracting very much liquid (the amount seems neglible), and you have a shelf-stable product that you can add at your convenience.

And to echo Chris, it makes a killer daiquiri.

The syrup extraction sounds interesting. I'll give it a shot.

If you really want pineapple juice, I think you can actually put it in a juicer. An automatic, mechanical one would probably be best as it seems pretty time consuming. Central Market has a huge industrial juicer and will sell you a half gallon of juice for about $20 (you have to ask for a custom juicing as they usually only make a pineapple-orange juice).

I would never ever use the canned stuff. It just tastes terrible. I recommend just using the pineapple rum infusion even if it calls for juice and adjusting your recipe to compensate.

This isn't quite what you're looking for, but I wonder how cocktails made with Delia Smith's Pineapple Cooler would taste.  I remember seeing her make it on her TV show years ago, and always wanted to try it.

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This sounds pretty crazy. Is there any potential of it spoiling and getting you sick? Would it be better to buy a yeast?

[db_campbell]

Just bought a bottle of the Looza Pineapple "nectar" for use in a batch of Chatham Artillery Punch. Of course, being Chatham, I won't be able to report back on its usage until ~ April 1st.

That said, I've played around w/ the remnant and found it works fairly well w/ Gewurtztraminer. In fact,

2 oz pineapple juice

2 oz gewurtztraminer

1 oz Appleton V/X

0.5 oz St. Germain

+ cocktail acid of choice

is a fairly satisfying casual evening tipple

[prasantrin]

This sounds pretty crazy. Is there any potential of it spoiling and getting you sick? Would it be better to buy a yeast?

←

I've never tried it, but I would imagine there's a fine line between being ready to drink and being spoiled. I think it's good to remember that Delia was making this recipe in England--I would imagine the summers there are cooler and less humid than somewhere like, for example, Japan. There would also be different yeasts in the air, wouldn't there?

I'd still give it a go, though. If I can get a good pineapple in April, I just might.

[yellowzeppelin]

I use the little Dole cans for juice. (snip)

The small Dole cans are very good. However, the large Dole cans are "from concentrate" while the small Dole cans are not. I think you can taste the difference.

This reminds me of visiting the Dole packing plant in Hawaii when I was a kid. (It is long since closed.) Not only did they give you a taste of the most delicious pineapple while you were on the tour, but the gift shop had a pineapple juice dispenser instead of a water cooler and you could drink all the tiny glasses of amazingly lovely pineapple juice that you wanted.

[FrogPrincesse]

I made the most fabulous Tantris Sidecar a few days ago with fresh pineapple and a bottle of Pierre Ferrand "1840 original formula" cognac that I opened for the occasion. I had tried the Tantris a while back with Remy Martin VSOP and canned pineapple juice and had been moderately impressed.

This time I decided to use better ingredients. I put small pieces of pineapple in the blender and doubled-strained to get the juice. For my next attempts I just put the pineapple pieces in my little handheld citrus juicer, which worked much better because you still get all a lot of fibers when you blend pineapple, even after careful double-straining.

I think that Pierre Ferrand 1840 is a much better cognac for cocktails than Remy Martin VSOP (or Martell VSOP). Remy Martin always comes out quite harsh for some reason. The calvados was Daron which I like a lot as well. It's great neat and makes incredible ice cream.

I made this version of the Tantris (from Imbibe magazine) which ups the cognac a little compared to the recipe Audrey Saunders posted on eGullet a few years ago ( 1 1/4 oz vs. 1 oz in her original recipe).

I finally understand what this drink is all about. It is very harmonious, maybe a tad sweet. It is interesting that no single ingredient actually stands out but the combination is much more of the sum of its parts (the sign of a great drink!). The Chartreuse which can easily take over in mixed drinks adds to the beautiful finish of the drink. The pineapple is also quite subtle . Very impressed.

Edited October 11, 2012 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Back to the original question on how to juice a pineapple (I do this almost daily, but then again I can buy extremely nice pineapples 3-4 for $1). Chop into coarse cubes and huck 'em in the blender with about 100 mL of water (or if you're going straight to booze, you can use the same volume of rum etc), pulse until smooth, then strain out the pulp using a mesh strainer and a spatula (the spatula is to press the pulp in the strainer until it's as dry as you can get it). You'll end up with a bit of foam, but that will actually settle out if left for 15-20 minutes.

I've found that pineapple juiced with rum, then hit up with a bit more rum and a dash of tonic for fizz and bitter is a lovely afternoon drink, improved only if you've got nice, sweet Valencia oranges in your pantry (one orange, juiced, plus the pineapple, rum, and tonic = dee-lish.)

Now here's a question for those of you who juice your own pineapples: do you consider white-fleshed fruits to be for drinks, or do you prefer gold-fleshed?

[FrogPrincesse]

Now here's a question for those of you who juice your own pineapples: do you consider white-fleshed fruits to be for drinks, or do you prefer gold-fleshed?

Good tips Elizabeth.

I wish I had a choice regarding gold and white-fleshed pineapples. The gold ones seem to be the norm in San Diego, I don't think I've ever seen white-fleshed pineapples in the store. I've had them a long time ago in Tahiti if I am not mistaken - I remember that they were smaller and sweeter, and that their core was edible.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Hmm, here it's the exact reverse. White pineapples are larger, tarter, and have softer cores; golds are smaller, much sweeter (almost too sweet), and have tough cores that are only good for extractions.

[FrogPrincesse]

Hmm, here it's the exact reverse. White pineapples are larger, tarter, and have softer cores; golds are smaller, much sweeter (almost too sweet), and have tough cores that are only good for extractions.

The gold ones we get here are quite large and are from Hawaii typically. "Maui Gold" is a good one because it's not too acidic, but generally they tend to be a little acidic.

[FrogPrincesse]

Another good classic cocktail with pineapple is the East India (Harry Johnson) that I tried last night: cognac, maraschino, lemon juice, pineapple juice, angostura bitters. I used the ratios from the Bartender's Choice app.

It would be hard to figure out in a blind-tasting what the base liquor is (at least for me). The cocktail is refreshing and tastes of spices, and I can almost taste batavia arrack. The maraschino is more prominent after a few sips in the finish.

Imbibe magazine has a swizzle version of this drink by Guiseppe Gonzalez which looks good too.

[Yojimbo]

As luck would have it, my younger daughter and her friend are asking for, God help me, pineapple pizza tonight for dinner, so the least I can do is buy enough to make some rum infusion. Just the thing to chase a cold away!

[haresfur]

As luck would have it, my younger daughter and her friend are asking for, God help me, pineapple pizza tonight for dinner, so the least I can do is buy enough to make some rum infusion. Just the thing to chase a cold away!

Save the pineapple from the infusion for their next pizza!

[Czequershuus]

As a big fan of puns, cocktails with really solid puns for names always call to me, especially if there ingredients are also alluring. 

 

Agave Maria (Link)

1.5 Oz Del Maguey Vida Mezcal (Illegal Joven)

1.5 Oz Pineapple Juice

0.75 Oz Lime Juice

1 bsp Fernet Branca

3 ds Peychauds Bitters

0.25 Oz Agave Nectar (Omitted)

Shake with ice, pour into a rocks glass (I misread this and strained)

 

Amazingly, even against Mezcal the Fernet stands out, but this a good thing. Smoke, menthol, and pineapple may seem an odd combo, but they work together brilliantly. I did not miss the agave nectar, the pineapple juice makes this sweet enough for me.

[FrogPrincesse]

As a big fan of puns, cocktails with really solid puns for names always call to me, especially if there ingredients are also alluring.

 

Agave Maria (Link)

1.5 Oz Del Maguey Vida Mezcal (Illegal Joven)

1.5 Oz Pineapple Juice

0.75 Oz Lime Juice

1 bsp Fernet Branca

3 ds Peychauds Bitters

0.25 Oz Agave Nectar (Omitted)

Shake with ice, pour into a rocks glass (I misread this and strained)

 

Amazingly, even against Mezcal the Fernet stands out, but this a good thing. Smoke, menthol, and pineapple may seem an odd combo, but they work together brilliantly. I did not miss the agave nectar, the pineapple juice makes this sweet enough for me.

 

This could be your entry for the MxMo pineapple challenge!

 

What kind of pineapple juice do you use by the way? I've used the canned pineapple juice from Trader Joe's in the past and it's not horrible but not great either. I tried making my own but it was a huge mess, and mostly fiber.

Edited June 6, 2014 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[Czequershuus]

This could be your entry for the MxMo pineapple challenge!

 

What kind of pineapple juice do you use by the way? I've used the canned pineapple juice from Trader Joe's in the past and it's not horrible but not great either. I tried making my own but it was a huge mess, and mostly fiber.

I must shame-facedly admit I use bottled pineapple juice, usually R.W. Knudsen. I just don't have the patience or the kitchen skills to make my own at this time, and the bottled stuff is really quite good. Plus, it keeps a fair while, which is a nice bonus.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

During last summer's pina colada season I was jucing up a lot of fresh pineapple.  I don't find it difficult (use a serrated knife) just a little messy.  I'll gladly juice the pineapples if someone else will grate the limes.

[FrogPrincesse]

Jo - what device do you use to juice pineapple? Citrus juicer?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Waring Juicer

[Plantes Vertes]

I also have a centrifugal juicer that makes short work of a pineapple. That is, after you wrestle the leaves off with your knife, slash off the skin, painstakingly remove the eyes, hack the thing open, hew into wedges...

[EvergreenDan]

wrestle the leaves off with your knife, slash off the skin, painstakingly remove the eyes, hack the thing open, hew into wedges...

Lovely verb diction.