Friday, June 14, 2013

Pineapple!


I love pineapple, so todays post will include a recipe or two as well as some interesting info about the history and cultivation of pineapple.



The original domesticators of the pineapple are disputed, but most agree that it was first seen in South America; Columbus wrote that it resembled a pine cone and dubbed it the 'Pine of the Indies'

Interestingly, although they are widely associated with Hawaii, they were not introduced to the islands as a crop until the late 18th century. Many now consider it to be the state's most important food crop.

The pineapple plant is a perennial which grows low to the ground.  A new commercial pineapple plant generally takes a year (sometimes up to 20 months, which would be almost two years) before it is mature enough to bear fruit.  Once a fruit does form, it takes five to six months to become fully ripe for picking. Despite being increasingly available fresh due to transport technology innovations, much of the world's pineapple crop is still canned or turned into pineapple juice.

If you are ever on the island of Oahu, make sure to schedule a stop at the Dole Pineapple plantation, which has an excellent tour and a gift shop on site.  I'm told that it is one of only three locations where you can purchase Dole Whip (Disneyland and Disneyworld both offer the treat as well according to their websites.  I can only verify Disneyland, as I've never been to Disneyworld)Fortunately, there are several mimic recipes available on the web and are often shared on Facebook and Pinterest.

There are several varieties of pineapple.  As explained in the New Food Lover's Companion:

"The Cayenne pineapple, the longer and more cylindrical of the two, has a golden-yellow skin and long, swordlike leaves sprouting from a single tuft. The Red Spanish pineapple is squatter in shape, has a reddish golden-brown skin and leaves that radiate from several tufts. Mexico grows a third variety called the Sugar Loaf, a large, exquisitely flavored specimen whose skin is still green when ripe. Because it doesn’t ship well, the Sugar Loaf is rarely imported into the United States."

The Red Spanish is more commonly grown in South America, while the Cayenne is the variety most commonly grown in Hawaii.


 


Sources:

PINEAPPLE. (2000). In Cambridge World History of Food
 
Pineapple. (2006). In McGraw-Hill Concise Encyclopedia of Science and Technology
 
pineapple. (2012). In Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.
 
pineapple. (2007). In The New Food Lover's Companion, Barron's.
 
 

Pineapple Recipes!

 

Dole Whip

 

Ingredients

  1. 2 20 ounce cans Dole crushed pineapple with juice
  2. 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  3. 2 tablespoons lime juice
  4. 1/3 cup sugar
  5. 1 and 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped


Directions

  1. Drain pineapple; reserve 2 tablespoons juice. Set aside.
  2. Place pineapple, lemon juice, lime juice, sugar and reserved pineapple juice in blender or food processor container; cover and blend until smooth.
  3. Pour into two 1-quart freezer zipped bags and store bags flat in freezer.
  4. Freeze 1-1/2 hours or until slushy.
  5. Stir pineapple slush gently into whipped cream until slightly blended, in large bowl.
  6. Return to freezer until completely frozen, about 1 hour.

 
 

Pineapple Chicken Tenders


 
recipe image
Rated: rating
Submitted By: HJR
Photo By: aussiemum
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour 10 Minutes
Servings: 10
"Skewered chicken tenders are brushed with a tropical mixture of pineapple juice, brown sugar, and soy sauce, and grilled."
Ingredients:
1 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup light soy sauce
2 pounds chicken breast tenderloins or
strips
skewers
Directions:
1.In a small saucepan over medium heat, mix pineapple juice, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Remove from heat just before the mixture comes to a boil.
2.Place chicken tenders in a medium bowl. Cover with the pineapple marinade, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
3.Preheat grill for medium heat. Thread chicken lengthwise onto wooden skewers.
4.Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill chicken tenders 5 minutes per side, or until juices run clear. They cook quickly, so watch them closely.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2013 Allrecipes.com

If you eat a lot of fresh pineapple, I highly recommend investing in a pineapple corer, there are lots of varieties available out there

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