Fresh pineapples are a great source of Vitamin C, but sometimes they’re sour or too acidic to be pleasant to eat. Here’s a way to make them more delectable. Caramelize them with sugar. Caramelizing the pineapples can turn this simple fruit into a great dessert. It tames the acidity of the pineapples and makes them sweeter and more likeable.
On the other hand, the pineapples shouldn’t be too cloyingly sweet either. To prevent this, I mixed a little salt into the brown sugar before sprinkling it on the pineapple. The result is a sweet flavor with just a hint of saltiness. The combination of sweet and salty flavors has, after all, been one of the latest trends in the food industry (thus the chocolate-covered potato chips, salted caramels, etc.)
These caramelized pineapples are great to take on summer picnics, being both refreshing as well as tantalizing. Just be sure to pack them well in airtight containers. Or, you can prepare the pineapples, butter and the sugar—salt-sprinkle before leaving for the picnic—and just grill the pineapples on the picnic site (if you’re taking a barbecue grill with you). You can also serve this with vanilla ice cream.
Caramelized Pineapple Rings
1 medium pineapple
½ c brown sugar
1 tsp salt
¼ c butter
Peel the pineapple and remove all the “eyes.” Slice the pineapple into circles about ¼-inch thick. A medium-size pineapple will yield around seven to eight pieces. Cut off the core or center part of each pineapple circle so pineapple circles become “rings.”
Combine sugar and salt in a bowl. Heat half of the butter in a grill pan or skillet until partially melted. Dredge the pineapple rings with the sugar-salt combination. Grill or heat around four of the pineapple rings in the skillet until pineapples start to get tender and the sugar starts to caramelize. Turn pineapples over and continue cooking them until fully tender and caramelized. Transfer to a clean plate. Repeat with remaining butter and pineapples.
Cook’s tips:
Cook the pineapples only until tender but not soggy.
You can serve this warm or cold.
If desired, slice the pineapple rings into chunks before serving.