Tested canning recipe from The National Center for Home Food Preservation
Canned Zucchini Pineapple or Mock Pineapple
This home-canned zucchini pineapple uses zucchini to create a fruit-like preserve in a sweet pineapple syrup. The finished cubes have a texture and flavor similar to pineapple, making them a versatile pantry staple for baking, fruit salads, smoothies, desserts, or enjoying straight from the jar. This recipe follows a tested canning method for safe home preservation.
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Ingredients
- 16 cups cubed or shredded zucchini (about 6 lbs, measured after prepping)
- 46 oz canned unsweetened pineapple juice
- 1½ cups bottled lemon juice *see note at the bottom
- 3 cups sugar
Directions
- Wash and peel the zucchini. Cut into ½-inch cubes for mock pineapple chunks, or shred for mock crushed pineapple. Prepare your water bath canner.
- Mix zucchini with the other ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Prepare jars and fill them with the hot mixture to a ½-inch headspace. Try to pack in as many zucchinis as possible while still keeping ½-inch headspace, so that the zucchinis are completely covered by the liquid. Release any trapped air inside jars.
- Wipe the rims of the jars and adjust the lids to finger-tight. Process for 20 minutes (this includes the additional time for altitude).
- Turn off the heat when the time is up and let the water stop boiling. Use oven mitts and open the lid away from you for safety. Remove jars from the canner and place them on a heatproof surface without tilting the jars or wiping the tops. Let sit for 24 hours to guarantee a complete seal.
Heads Up!
More about the science
Only use bottled lemon juice and canned, unsweetened pure pineapple juice. Anything else cannot be guaranteed to be safe for home canning due to varying acid levels across lemons. Do not reduce the amount of lemon juice. You can always add more sugar if it is too lemony for your preference.