Canning Mock Pineapple: Make Faux Pineapple using Zucchini

If you have an abundance of extra zucchini like I do, try canning mock pineapple for a fun new addition to your canning shelf.

This recipe will be your complete guide to turn your overgrown, or bland zucchini into a bright, fruity replacement for store bought canned pineapple. You won’t even be able to tell the difference between your mock pineapple and the real thing!

What You’ll Need for Canning Mock Pineapple

Ingredients

• Zucchini – The best zucchini for this are the ones that got too big for other uses or fresh eating. Use ones where maybe the skin is too tough, or the seeds are too big; like the ones you’d shred for zucchini bread! Those extra zucchini don’t have to go to waste when you have a recipe like this to use them in.
• Pineapple Juice – Use bottled or canned pineapple juice.
• Bottled Lemon Juice – You need to use bottled lemon juice so that the recipe has a reliable amount of acidity to make the recipe a safe canning recipe.
• Sugar – This recipe uses white granulated sugar.  (note: this recipe is not tested with any sugar substitutes. However, the sugar is not needed to make this recipe “safe”, so there is no required sugar amount. You can experiment with adjusting the sweetness to a lesser amount if preferred)

Tools

• Large saucepan or pot – for cooking the mock pineapple
• Canning Funnel
• Jar Lifter
• Glass Canning Jars
• Canning Lids – I really like the Superb brand.
• Water Bath Canner (also known as a boiling-water canner)- This doesn’t have to be a specific make or model of canner. You can even use a pot as long as it’s large enough to cover the jars with water.
• Dish Drying Mat – I like to use one of these for placing my hot jars out of the canner, but you can also use a folded dish towel.

Choosing the Right Zucchini for Faux Pineapple

If you’ve ever grown a garden you know how quickly zucchini can get out of control.

Even if you’ve never grown a garden yourself, but know someone who has, then you’ve found out about it when they relentlessly gift you their over-grown zucchinis!

I myself have 4 gifted zucchini’s in the trunk of my car right now!

For this type of recipe I prefer to use the oversized zucchinis. They provide a bigger bang for your buck and have less uses at that stage, otherwise.

When using a large zucchini, you’ll be removing the seeds and skin in favor of the flesh of the vegetable.

Many people thing the over-grown zucchinis don’t have a use at all, but I get excited for mine because I know they will help me to fill jar after jar of mock pineapple!

How to Make Mock Pineapple

Prepare the Zucchini

Wash and peel zucchini. Be sure to remove the large center seeds if present.

Cut the zucchini into 1/2 inch cubes (or whatever shape you prefer) to imitate canned pineapple.

Prepare the Jars and Water Bath Canner

This is a hot pack canning recipe, so preparing the jars, canner, and the pineapple zucchini to be the same temperature is important to avoid a jar breaking.

Clean the jars so that they are clean and hot by the time your zucchini will be done.

Prepare your water bath canner – I like to place my empty jars into my canner once they are clean and fill the canner (and the jars) about halfway with hot water, and bring everything to a simmer. That way, the canner and the jars are hot at the same time and temperature as the hot mock pineapple.

Extra hot water – consider having a tea kettle or extra pot with simmering water on the stove as well, in case your canner needs topped off with extra water when you’re ready to start.

Make the Mock Pineapple

Combine the Ingredients – In a large pot, combine the pineapple juice, lemon juice, and sugar. Add the zucchini cubes to the cooking liquid.

Bring the juice mixture to a boil – stirring every few minutes.

Reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

Fill the Canning Jars

Fill the jars – Using a ladle or large measuring cup, pour the cooked mock pineapple into hot jars. Top the jars with the hot pineapple juice leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

De-bubble the jars – Use a chopstick or butter knife to remove air bubbles.

Clean the jar rims –Dampen a clean cloth with white vinegar to wipe the rims of the mock pineapple jars. Place lids on the jars and screw on the bands just until fingertip tight.

Process the Jars

Put the jars in the canner –Place the hot jars on the canning rack in a boiling water bath canner. Ensure jars are covered by 1-2 inches of water.

The processing times for half pints and pint jars is 15 minutes.

The processing times for quart jars is 20 minutes.

Turn off the stove and allow the jars to remain in the canner for 5 minutes before removing them.

Remove jars from the water bath canner and allow them to cool on a clean towel or dish mat undisturbed for 12-24 hours.

Check the seals – Press the center of each lid to ensure it is sealed properly. If the lid pops back, the jar did not seal and should be refrigerated (use within 7 days).

Store the Jars – Label jars with the date and contents.Store in a cool, dark place.

Enjoy!

Storing Mock Pineapple

Like all products of canning, the storing requirements are simple and effective.

Where possible, store canned goods in a cool, dark place where the temperature is consistent. According to the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), The storage time for high-acid foods can be up to 18 months for best quality. Low-acid foods can maintain quality for 2 to 5 years.

If jars and lids remain dent free with no swelling or rust, and are stored in a cool, dark place, they are technically safe indefinitely.

If you are new to canning and want to know more, check out this post about the differences of water bath canning vs pressure canning.

How to Use this Canned Mock Pineapple

This recipe really does taste just like store bought canned pineapple.

The flavor is exactly the same. The texture, if anything, is better than canned pineapple. I would say that the finished product actually has a texture closer to fresh pineapples.

Zucchini seems to hold up better in the canning process than pineapple does.

The canning of fruits of any kind is a delicious way to add variety to your pantry shelf.

You can use this canned product as a full substitution for store-bought canned pineapple in any of your favorite recipes!

One of our favorite uses for our faux pineapple are these Fruit and Veggie Popsicles for kids!

Does Zucchini Need to be Pressure Canned?

Squash is a low acid food, however, canning zucchini with the sugar, lemon juice, and pineapple juice brings the overall pH to an acidic level safe for water bath canning.

Thanks to water bath canning’s quicker method of canning, the zucchini also maintains a much better texture.

Even with a very short boiling water canner process, the greater danger of bacterial growth is mitigated through the acidity of the juice, and the adequate preservation of the canning process.

Can This Mock Pineapple Be Frozen?

If this is your first time canning, and you aren’t comfortable with canning yet, this zucchini recipe can be frozen.

I would suggest freezing the mock pineapple in ziplock baggies instead of in jars, though. This will give you a fuss free way to avoid cracking jars in the freezer.

To thaw from the frozen state, place in the refrigerator the day before you need it, and use once thawed.