Mandarin cider served in a glass Holiday Mandarin Mulled Cider BBQ sauce Diavola pizza served Spicy BBQ Diavola Pizza Warm Bagna Cauda dip served in a fondue pot with fresh vegetables Classic Bagna Cauda with Winter Crudités Blueberry pretzel plated Soft Blueberry Pretzels with Cinnamon Sugar Savory meat and vegetable biscuits served Savory Meat and Vegetable Stuffed Biscuits Alboronía with pumpkin, eggplant and fresh cilantro served Spanish Pumpkin and Eggplant Stew (Alboronía) Slice of Fainá chickpea flatbread with tomato sauce Chickpea Flatbread with Tomato Sauce (Fainá) Elote with Sour Cream - fresh corn served with sour cream, cheese, and spicy paprika Classic Sour Cream Elote Zucchini fritters with tahini sauce Zucchini Fritters with Lemony Tahini Dip Chestnut Zongzi served on a plate Sweet Chestnut Sticky Rice Dumplings (Zongzi) Kohlrabi calzone Roasted Kohlrabi & Mozzarella Calzone Sausage burger with cheese and vegetables Hungarian Style Pork & Sausage Burger Fig stuffed naan bread served Fig-Stuffed Naan Bread Gingerbread Waffles with orange zest Gingerbread Spiced Waffles White pizza with creamy cheese topping Extra Creamy White Pizza with Ricotta and Mascarpone Orange cider served in a glass Warm Spiced Orange Cider Beet and Leek Wrap with Peanut Butter Beet and Leek Whole Wheat Wraps with Peanut Butter Chicken Arroz Caldo served with hard-boiled eggs, scallions, and fried garlic Chicken Arroz Caldo with Hard-Boiled Eggs Greek baked giant beans served with whole wheat toast Rustic Greek Baked Beans with Whole Wheat Toast Fish pie with cauliflower mash, golden brown creamy topping and fish filling Low-Carb Fish Pie with Cauliflower Mash Mandarin cider served in a glass Holiday Mandarin Mulled Cider BBQ sauce Diavola pizza served Spicy BBQ Diavola Pizza Warm Bagna Cauda dip served in a fondue pot with fresh vegetables Classic Bagna Cauda with Winter Crudités Blueberry pretzel plated Soft Blueberry Pretzels with Cinnamon Sugar Savory meat and vegetable biscuits served Savory Meat and Vegetable Stuffed Biscuits Alboronía with pumpkin, eggplant and fresh cilantro served Spanish Pumpkin and Eggplant Stew (Alboronía) Slice of Fainá chickpea flatbread with tomato sauce Chickpea Flatbread with Tomato Sauce (Fainá) Elote with Sour Cream - fresh corn served with sour cream, cheese, and spicy paprika Classic Sour Cream Elote Zucchini fritters with tahini sauce Zucchini Fritters with Lemony Tahini Dip Chestnut Zongzi served on a plate Sweet Chestnut Sticky Rice Dumplings (Zongzi) Kohlrabi calzone Roasted Kohlrabi & Mozzarella Calzone Sausage burger with cheese and vegetables Hungarian Style Pork & Sausage Burger Fig stuffed naan bread served Fig-Stuffed Naan Bread Gingerbread Waffles with orange zest Gingerbread Spiced Waffles White pizza with creamy cheese topping Extra Creamy White Pizza with Ricotta and Mascarpone Orange cider served in a glass Warm Spiced Orange Cider Beet and Leek Wrap with Peanut Butter Beet and Leek Whole Wheat Wraps with Peanut Butter Chicken Arroz Caldo served with hard-boiled eggs, scallions, and fried garlic Chicken Arroz Caldo with Hard-Boiled Eggs Greek baked giant beans served with whole wheat toast Rustic Greek Baked Beans with Whole Wheat Toast Fish pie with cauliflower mash, golden brown creamy topping and fish filling Low-Carb Fish Pie with Cauliflower Mash
Sweet and sour pickled pineapple chunks served in a jar
Unique and tangy homemade sweet and sour pickled pineapple

Sweet and Sour Pickled Pineapple with Star Anise

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Vegetarian & Vegan Dishes Appetizers
Pickling fresh pineapple might sound unusual, but it's a bold and rewarding experiment. The natural sweetness of the fruit and the acidity of the vinegar are perfectly complemented by the exotic, numbing freshness of star anise and Sichuan peppercorns. This pickle is the perfect counterpoint to rich pork dishes (like pork belly) or roast duck, as the bromelain enzyme in pineapple aids in protein digestion.
🕒 Prep Time 15 mins
🍳 Cook Time 5 mins
⌛ Total Time 1 day 20 mins
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 90 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Asian Fusion

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Sterilized Mason jars
  • Saucepan for the brine
  • Sharp knife

Instructions

1 ✓

Cut the pineapple into bite-sized chunks, removing the fibrous core. Pack tightly into the jar.

Tip: The core is too fibrous and tough, reducing the enjoyment.
2 ✓

In a saucepan, bring the water, vinegar, sugar, salt, and spices to a boil. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely.

Tip: The hot, spicy steam indicates that the aromas have been released.
3 ✓

Pour the hot brine over the pineapple.

Tip: The hot liquid provides a light heat treatment (blanching), which stabilizes the texture and stops oxidation.
4 ✓

Seal, let cool, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.

Tip: Osmosis (metabolism through the cell membrane) takes time: sugar moves in, water moves out.

Recipe FAQ

Why does my tongue tingle?
That's the effect of the bromelain enzyme ('the fruit bites back'). The hot brine partially inactivates it, but some raw character remains.
Can I use canned pineapple?
Never! Canned pineapple is already heat-treated, soft, and too sweet. The result would be mushy.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb fresh pineapple (peeled, cored)
  • 1 cup rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 whole star anise
  • 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns (whole)
  • 1 tsp kosher salt