I’m on a real anti-veggie pickle kick lately with ginger and mangos so decided to give pickled pineapple a shot as well. Spicy cilantro pickled pineapple – say that 10x fast – to be specific. This week also gave me the chance to use a coconut vinegar (wuttttt) I found at the grocery store…it’s always a real treat to pickle with new kinds of vinegars (can’t forget to mention a similar version here with yet another flavor of vinegar) so this was a particularly exciting day for me. Anyway, the recipe below looks and smells like a fun tropical beverage so sit back, relax and pickle away!
A few notes:
- Once pickled, these had some serious heat so you could always make the brine sans jalapeños
- It goes without saying but don’t use cilantro if you are part of the unfortunate ~14% of the population with these genes.
- I’m a big fan of the twist (literally!) of lime – first time using citrus in the pickling process – but you could go without that ingredient as well if you don’t like fun.
- Lastly, for any pineapple noobs out there, check out this helpful guide to selecting and cutting a pineapple.
Spicy Pickled Pineapple Recipe
Makes 1 quart
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup coconut (or less exciting) vinegar
- 1 tbsp salt
- a few sprigs cilantro
- 1 jalapeño
- 2 limes (juice of, or sliced for more gradual flavor)
- 2 small to medium-sized pineapples
Instructions:
- Bring the water, vinegar, salt and sliced jalapeño to a boil until salt and sugar are fully dissolved. Set aside to cool.
- Trim and chop the pineapple into desired pieces. Slice limes to juice or add as intact slices.
- Place pineapple, cilantro sprigs and lime (juice) into jars.
- Pour brine, including jalapeños, over the contents of the jar.
- Recommended use: refrigerate jars; these are definitely better cold. Great for a tangier dessert than super sweet fruit.
