Pineapple Preserves with No Added Sugar

(Yields: 1 jar, Serving: Many, Prep time: 10 mins, Cook time: 45 mins)

Ingredients

• 4 cups pineapple

• 1 tablespoon lime juice

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 2 cloves

• 1 star anise

• 3 tablespoons corn starch

• 3 tablespoons water

Note: Star anise can be easily found in Asian grocery stores, but is not neccessary in this so if you can’t find it, feel free to not use it.

Instructions

Use a knife or grater to chop the pineapples into fine mince. (Don’t use a blender for this!)

Add a tablespoon of lime juice and stir.

Place the pineapples in a saucepan or frying pan and add the vanilla extract.

Turn the heat on medium high and cook for 5 minutes, then turn the heat to medium low (4) and simmer for 10 minutes. At this point, pineapples will start juicing.

After 10 minutes, add the cinnamon stick, 2 cloves and star anise.

Cook on medium low for another 25 minutes, allowing the pineapples to thick, the juices to dry and flavours to come out of the spices.

This is how it should look after 25 minutes:

Combine the corn starch with water and add it to the pineapples. Stir until everything is even.

Cook on the same medium low heat for another 15 minutes until pineapples are nice and thick.

Place it in a jar and use it for pastries, desserts, spreads or even as a sweetener!