Not Sweet Pineapple

December 9, 2010 3:49 AM

How can I rescue/save a pineapple that isn't very sweet from the compost heap?

I bought, peeled, cored and sliced up what I thought was a good looking pineapple from the supermarket today. It tastes blah. Not sweet at all. Any recipes or techniques to save it from being tossed out?

posted by boby to Food & Drink (15 answers total)

throw, say, 3 tbsp butter in a pan. Melt it, then add 2tbsp brown sugar, then two tbsp of rum. Add some ginger, if you feel like it (powdered is okay).

Marinate the pineapple in the butter sauce, then grill (or broil) until it starts to brown.
posted by Ghidorah at 4:15 AM on December 9, 2010 [2 favorites]

Two ideas spring to mind:

Pineapple upside down cake

Any sort of curry that uses pineapple where it provides a sour, rather than sweet note. There are both Thai and Indonesian recipes that use it.
posted by rhymer at 4:17 AM on December 9, 2010

Separate it out, freeze it on a cookie sheet, throw it in a ziploc bag in the freezer, then wait until you have an overripe banana and whir together in the blender for a smoothie.

Or, chop into little pieces, add onion, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, a bit of lime, and have pineapple salsa on sauteed scallops.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 4:31 AM on December 9, 2010

More baking ideas: many carrot cake or hummingbird cake recipes call for pineapple (that one asks for tinned pineapple but you could use fresh just as well). Or candied pineapple?
posted by SymphonyNumberNine at 5:41 AM on December 9, 2010

Seconding rhymer on using it as a vegetable in a stir fry or a curry. Example recipe here. A commercial Thai red curry paste will do as a sub for the Khmer curry paste, and I wouldn't cook it for 75 minutes. Instead add the pineapple when the pork is done, and cook until nearly tender. It's not good if overdone.
posted by Ahab at 5:49 AM on December 9, 2010

What Ghidorah said. Then put on top of waffles.
posted by freshwater at 6:52 AM on December 9, 2010 [1 favorite]

Mix it with sugar, pepper, chilli powder, salt, and maybe some vinegar. Eat.
posted by sid at 7:06 AM on December 9, 2010

Mix it with some jalapenos, tomatos, cilantro, green peppers and lime juice to make some mango salsa. Goes great with fish or chicken!
posted by astapasta24 at 8:04 AM on December 9, 2010

I wouldn't even worry about marinating it. I like to take slices and throw them in a skillet on relatively low heat and just let their natural juices come out and caramelize. Great on a sandwich with a chicken breast and a little cheese or sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon and eat it plain.
posted by wallaby at 8:42 AM on December 9, 2010

Vodka, jar, pineapple, refridgerator, let sit for a week, pour, enjoy.
posted by Gungho at 9:37 AM on December 9, 2010

Pineapple vinegar!
posted by clockwork at 10:50 AM on December 9, 2010

Best answer: Roasted pineapple takes blah pineapple and turns it into warm caramelized deliciousness. Eat it warm on its own or with ice cream.

How? Just preheat your oven to 400 degrees. While it's preheating, put your pineapple chunks in a bowl, and toss it with a bit of sugar (white or brown). Spread the chunks out on a cookie sheet lined with foil or a silpat (otherwise its a bitch to clean up), and roast till some of the edges are brown. Eat!
posted by Kololo at 11:19 AM on December 9, 2010

Waffles? Dear lord, I'd never thought of that. Must. Purchase. Waffle Iron.
posted by Ghidorah at 6:04 PM on December 9, 2010

Also, a mildly spicy bbq sauce works. The bbq sauce will be sweet already, and the spiciness will further enhance the pineapple.
posted by Ghidorah at 6:05 PM on December 9, 2010

Response by poster: So many delicious sounding ideas! Thanks.
posted by boby at 2:51 AM on December 10, 2010