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Pineapple is cooked and reduced to a very thick consistency and is usually used to fill up Pineapple Tarts. Fresh or canned pineapple can be used with this recipe.
Pineapples were on sale a few weeks ago and with 4 pineapples at home, I thought I would make a compote or what we usually selai nenas in Indonesia. They were easy to make but just needed about one hour to get to a thick consistency to be used in Kue Nastar (Pineapple Tarts).
Can I use canned pineapple to make the jam?
Yes, in fact, that is what I’ve been using for the past few years as I get a bit lazy LOL! I usually use pineapple chunks or crushed pineapple packed in its own juice without any added sugar. They work perfectly fine.
Do I need maltose?
Maltose is usually added to help prevent sugar crystallization, extend shelf life and give the finished jam a nice glossy look. Maltose doesn’t taste sweet like regular sugar. So its addition won’t affect the taste in terms of sweetness. You can skip maltose if you don’t want to add any. You can replace it with golden syrup if that’s what you have.
How do you pick a good pineapple?
To be honest, I’m not an expert either. Usually you would be able to smell a nice pineapple aroma at its base. A stranger told me before that I should be able to tug on one of the inner leaves. Those are the signs that the pineapple is ready.
The thickness of the pineapple jam is necessary when you are going to use it to make Kue Nastar. The jam is usually rolled into a ball and then wrapped with the dough.
How To Make Pineapple Jam for Pineapple Tarts
Ingredients
- 2 kg pineapple (before trimming) see notes
- 90 gr sugar more or less to your taste
- 1 cinnamon stick or 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 cloves or 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Optional:
- 20 gr maltose or golden syrup
Instructions
If using fresh pineapples:
- Trim off the top and bottom of the pineapple. Start trimming the sides and then trim off the "eyes". Slice the pineapple vertically and cut off the core. Cut into little pieces. After trimming it would be roughly about 900-1000 grams. Use a food processor or blender to roughly chopped it.
Optional:
- I no longer recommend squeezing out the juice (video is not updated yet). The juice adds flavor and also helps with caramelization of the jam.
If using canned pineapple:
- Use a food processor or blender to just roughly process it
Cooking:
- In a large pot, put in the pineapple, sugar, and spices and cook over medium-low heat.
- It will splatter quite a bit at first. I partially cover the pot with the lid to contain the mess, but still allow some liquid to evaporate while cooking.
- Stir every now and then and cook until they are a bit thicker, which is after about one hour, add the maltose or golden syrup if you choose to use.
- This is after about 1 1/2 hour of cooking
- Continue to cook until it gets really thick, the whole cooking time may take about 2-2 1/2 hours. Towards the last half an hour, you may want to lower the heat a bit because the jam has thickened considerably and we don't want to "burn" it.
- The jam turns darker in color and no longer watery. It feels soft at this point but will harden once cools down. When the jam has reduced to the consistency you like, stir in the vanilla extract if you use. Stir to combine
- The weight may range from 440-500 grams total. The weight may vary a bit, depending on the consistency of the jam
How to store:
- Let the jam cools down completely at room temperature. Store in glass container and keep in the refrigerator and it's good up to about 2 weeks and can be kept frozen for 1 month
Marv’s Recipe Notes
*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*
What you can make with pineapple jam
Try these Taiwan pineapple tarts, Indonesian kue nastar, and Malaysian/Singaporean open-faced pineapple tarts. They are all delicious and popular Chinese New Year goodies.
Did you make this pineapple jam recipe?
I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag it to show me what you’ve made. Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!
22 comments
Am I able to use canned pineapple. It is difficult getting nice fresh pineapples here in Melbourne.
Hi Karine, yes, you can definitely use canned pineapple. Just make sure you drain the liquid and get the “dry” weight.
Hi! Could I ask you if there is a difference if I use a food processor or a blender to churn it? Or both will work? Thanks!
Hi Lilian, both should work 🙂
Btw, is there any reason to add additional sugar? I think the pineapple itself is sweet enough. What do you think omitting the sugar completely?
Hi Jos, the sugar caramelizes and makes the jam sticky and firm and suitable to use as a filling in tarts, etc. It’s hard to achieve this consistency without any sugar at all.
I’m lazy..can I make this using canned pineapple chunk?
Yes you can. In fact, I’m thinking of doing so myself last week, but I haven’t gotten any canned pineapple yet. I’m lazy to cut the pineapple too ha.ha..! It should work too!
Hi,
If you use canned pineapple, what is the equivalent quantity needed compared to the flesh of an untrimmed pineapple weighing 1.3 kg?
Hi, I would say roughly about 900 grams of pineapple chunks (without the juice that comes with it)
I know this is an utter sacrilegious questions, but…
I love these cakes, but my son is allergic to pineapple. Is it possible to do these with a different fruit?
Hi Ariadne, you certainly can cook a different kind of jam. I would think like apricot, orange, mango, apple, or whatever you have in mind will work too. Just make sure you cook it to a very thick consistency. I’ve once tried to use store-bought strawberry jam (because I was lazy to make the pineapple jam) because I need to experiment with this tart recipe, and it didn’t work out so well. The jam store-bought is not thick enough. Other than that, it should work with different fruit.
Seems easy enough! Now I won’t feel as intimidated:) I have heard a lot about the traditional pineapple tarts served around Chinese New Year and that you pretty much cannot celebrate without them. But as you point out, this jam can have multiple creative applications, I can see it pair well with certain cheeses and IPAs (lol), as well as be used as ingredient to various sauces for chicken or pork. Or like a glaze for grilled meat. Thank you for sharing how to make it!
I know you are going to work that IPAs wonder into anything 😉 and you are good at that!