STORY BEHIND THE RECIPE

With Chinese New Year just around the corner, most people are sniffing around (pun intended!) for the best pineapple tarts in town as gifts or to enjoy at home.

However, if you don’t like the taste of the pineapple jam (pineapple tart filling) in store-bought pineapple tarts,  why not make your own  this year for a change?

Not only will it save you money, you get to take control of the texture, sweetness and spiced flavour. And your family and friends will love you for the TLC you’ve put to hand-make these delectable treats.

TRICK OF THE TRADE

The traditional method of making pineapple jam calls for using fresh ripened pineapples. For tips on how to choose a ripe pineapple, read our other post here.

After buying the pineapples, we left them to stand upside down for about 1-2 days as they continued to ripen. This method (which I learnt from my local fruit seller) uses gravity to draw the sugars out from the stem end of the pineapples into the rest of the fruit so that it will be evenly sweet and ripened.

The resulting jam after it is cooled should look like this: golden, sticky and moist. Chill it in the fridge overnight before using them to making pineapple tart.

For this recipe, we used 5 small honey pineapples which yields around 900g – 1kg of jam after accounting for wastage and reduction in the juices of the pineapple.

This should give you enough jam to make around 180-250 open-faced pineapple tarts (each pineapple ball weighing 4-5g). For larger pineapple balls (6 – 8g), you will be able to make around 110 – 160 pineapple tarts. (Note: these are rough estimates only!)

Don’t forget to stay tuned for Part 2 of this recipe, where we show you how to make open-face Pineapple Tarts the way we love it, buttery and crumbly but still sturdy enough to be packed into boxes!

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS DISH

• Get total control over your jam! You are free to make it as sweet as you want, and control the texture of the jam too.
• It helps save money if you make your own! It’s hard work, but your family will love you to bits for making them some pineapple tarts from scratch.

HOW TO MAKE PINEAPPLE JAM (PINEAPPLE TART FILLING)? 

Cut off the bottom part of the pineapple. Then stand the pineapple on the flat surface. Hold on to the stalk and remove the skin of pineapple.

Next, remove the eyes of the pineapple by cutting a v-shaped groove in an upward diagonal spiral around the pineapple, ensure that all the brown parts of the eyes are completely removed. Then give the pineapple a rinse and pat dry.

Place the pineapple upright, and cut down the middle (lengthwise). Cut each half into quarters along the length of the pineapple then remove the inner core of the pineapple.

Slice the wedges into thin slices and chop finely, then place the chopped pineapple into a big bowl. Repeat the process for the rest of the pineapples.

Heat up a stainless steel pot over low heat. Then add in the chopped pineapples, cinnamon, star anise and cloves into the pot.

Cook for about 30 minutes or until the juices dry up, stirring frequently to prevent the pineapple tart filling from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Add in the 375 gm of sugar to the pineapple, and mix well. Continue to cook for another 30 minutes or until juices dry up, stirring the mixture even more frequently to prevent the pineapple tart filling from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Transfer the pineapple jam into a heat-proof container and allow it to cool. Once completely cooled, remove the spices and discard. Then seal the container tightly and leave in the fridge overnight before use.

MARKETING TIPS

1. Use Malaysian Honey Pineapples which are quite sweet and also economical for making pineapple jam.
2. Read this guide for how to choose pineapples.

HOW TO CUT PINEAPPLE

1. Invert the pineapples over in a container after buying them so that the sugary juices in the pineapple will be spread to the top of the pineapples.
2. Remove all the “eyes” from the pineapples as they very spiky and rough.
3. Remove the core from the pineapple as they are very hard and fibrous. This way the pineapple jam texture will be softer and finer. However this is up to individual preference.

WHY CHOP INSTEAD OF BLEND/GRATE? 

1. Blending is of course the quickest and easiest, but produces a texture that is very mushy and not substantial.
2. Grating is the most time-consuming and gives the most fibrous texture (and longest fibres). However I find that grating leads to a finer and more mushy texture as compared to chopping.
3. Chopping gives the best control because you can choose how finely to chop the pineapples. You can even mix up finely chopped pineapples with slightly chunkier pineapple bits. This give the jam a nice substantial bite after baking. Chopping is also relatively quick to do if you have reasonable knife skills.
   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   
   

COOKING TIPS

1. Slightly undercook the pineapple jam especially if you are making open-faced pineapple tarts. Pineapple jam gets cooked further during baking. You don’t want the final product to be overcooked (too dry/ hard/ brown). A light brown, sticky but still moist texture is what you should be looking for.
2. Gauge whether the pineapple jam is done by ensuring it is dry enough (no visible pools of liquid when tilt to the side). The cooking times indicated are estimates only and may vary depending on various factors (e.g. size of pineapples, how juicy they are, how strong your heat source as every stove is different, pot used etc.)
3. Don’t cook the jam until it gets too dry. Do note that the jam tends to become even more sticky after it has cooled down.
4. Cook the jam for another few minutes if you find that the jam is too wet even after it has cooled down. If it is too wet, it will be very difficult to shape into balls for the tarts.
5. Cook another small batch of pineapple jam and combine it with the batch that is too dry. Don’t simply add water if the jam turns out too dry after it has cooled down, as this will cause the jam to turn mouldy.
6. Stir constantly as it is easy to get the jam burnt.

SUGAR TIPS

DIETARY MODIFICATIONS

• Fish-Free: No modifications needed.
• Nut-Free: No modifications needed.
• Shellfish-Free: No modifications needed.
• Vegetarian: No modifications needed

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Homemade Spiced Pineapple Jam (For Pineapple Tarts)

Course: Snack

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: pineapple tart jam, pineapple jam

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Servings: 1 kg of Pineapple Jam

Calories: 3728 kcal

Author: Bee Leng | The Burning Kitchen

Nothing beats homemade Spiced Pineapple Jam (Pineapple Tart Filling)! If you don't like the jam in store- bought pineapple tarts, why not make your own where you can control your preferred texture and sweetness? See this recipe to find out more! 

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Ingredients

• 5 Small Pineapples (Malaysian Honey Pineapple, 800g each) or 4 Medium pineapples (1kg each)
• 375 gm Castor Sugar
• 0.5 Cinnamon Stick
• 3 Cloves
• 0.5 Star Anise

Instructions

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Cut off the bottom part of the pineapple. Then stand the pineapple on the flat surface. Hold on to the stalk and remove the skin of pineapple. 

2. Next, remove the eyes of the pineapple by cutting a v-shaped groove in an upward diagonal spiral around the pineapple, ensure that all the brown parts of the eyes are completely removed. Then give the pineapple a rinse and pat dry.

3.  Place the pineapple upright, and cut down the middle (lengthwise). Cut each half into quarters along the length of the pineapple then remove the inner core of the pineapple.

4. Slice the wedges into thin slices and chop finely, then place the chopped pineapple into a big bowl. Repeat the process for the rest of the pineapples.

COOKING METHOD

1. Heat up a stainless steel pot over low heat. Then add in the chopped pineapples, cinnamon, star anise and cloves into the pot. 

2. Cook for about 30 minutes or until the juices dry up, stirring frequently to prevent the pineapple tart filling from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
   

3. Add in the 375 gm of sugar to the pineapple, and mix well. Continue to cook for another 30 minutes or until juices dry up, stirring the mixture even more frequently to prevent the pineapple tart filling from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
   

4. Transfer the pineapple jam into a heat-proof container and allow it to cool. Once completely cooled, remove the spices and discard. Then seal the container tightly and leave in the fridge overnight before use.

Recipe Video

Top Tips

MARKETING TIPS

1. Use Malaysian Honey Pineapples which are quite sweet and also economical for making pineapple jam.
2. Read this guide for how to choose pineapples.

HOW TO CUT PINEAPPLE

1. Invert the pineapples over in a container after buying them so that the sugary juices in the pineapple will be spread to the top of the pineapples.
2. Remove all the "eyes" from the pineapples as they very spiky and rough.
3. Remove the core from the pineapple as they are very hard and fibrous. This way the pineapple jam texture will be softer and finer. However this is up to individual preference.

WHY CHOP INSTEAD OF BLEND/GRATE? 

1. Blending is of course the quickest and easiest, but produces a texture that is very mushy and not substantial.
2. Grating is the most time-consuming and gives the most fibrous texture (and longest fibres). However I find that grating leads to a finer and more mushy texture as compared to chopping.
3. Chopping gives the best control because you can choose how finely to chop the pineapples. You can even mix up finely chopped pineapples with slightly chunkier pineapple bits. This give the jam a nice substantial bite after baking. Chopping is also relatively quick to do if you have reasonable knife skills.

COOKING TIPS

1. Slightly undercook the pineapple jam especially if you are making open-faced pineapple tarts. Pineapple jam gets cooked further during baking. You don't want the final product to be overcooked (too dry/ hard/ brown). A light brown, sticky but still moist texture is what you should be looking for.
2. Gauge whether the pineapple jam is done by ensuring it is dry enough (no visible pools of liquid when tilt to the side). The cooking times indicated are estimates only and may vary depending on various factors (e.g. size of pineapples, how juicy they are, how strong your heat source as every stove is different, pot used etc.)
3. Don't cook the jam until it gets too dry. Do note that the jam tends to become even more sticky after it has cooled down.
4. Cook the jam for another few minutes if you find that the jam is too wet even after it has cooled down. If it is too wet, it will be very difficult to shape into balls for the tarts.
5. Cook another small batch of pineapple jam and combine it with the batch that is too dry. Don't simply add water if the jam turns out too dry after it has cooled down, as this will cause the jam to turn mouldy. 
6. Stir constantly as it is easy to get the jam burnt. 

SUGAR TIPS

1. Be careful not to reduce the sugar as it can lead to your pineapple jam turning mouldy very quickly. The sugar in the pineapple jam acts as a preservative, drawing out liquid from the pineapple. 
2. Only add the sugar to the mixture after the first 30 minutes. The sugar also gives the pineapple jam its nice golden caramelised appearance. It's important not to add the sugar too early on, otherwise you will get a very dark brown and tan colour, which is less attractive, instead of a nice golden complexion.
3. After the sugar is added, the pineapple mixture will actually turn slightly watery again. The sugar causes more of the juices of the pineapple to be released. You need to cook this for another 30 minutes or until the juices dry up.