For Grilled Pineapple, Fresh Is Better Than Canned

Have you ever found a fresh ingredient so perfect that you weren't sure it could be improved upon until you realized that it actually could? Fresh fruit is an absolute wonder and sometimes should not be messed with, but there are other times when adding a bit of heat to fresh fruit can turn it into a really special dish.

Fresh apples are a delight, but put them into a decadent apple pie and they've got an entirely new personality and purpose. The same goes for grilling fruit like plums, peaches, and pineapple. When the heat of the grill meets the natural sugars in the fruit, it caramelizes and kicks the flavors up several notches.

When grilling pineapple, there are a few rules you need to follow, but the one that might be the most important is to use fresh pineapple instead of its canned or frozen counterparts.

Rules for grilling pineapple are minimal but not to be ignored. The first is to ensure that your grill or grill pan is clean. Pineapple doesn't grill for very long, so you want to make sure it won't come into contact with any bacteria or cross contamination from raw meat. MasterClass recommends cutting the pineapple into larger pieces so it won't fall through the grates of your grill. You can do long strips or circles. And while some sources suggest brushing the pineapple with a sweet glaze, Pure Wow insists this isn't necessary; Just make sure you either oil the grill or brush the pineapple with a bit of oil. If you want to add spice or heat, you can sprinkle ground cinnamon or chili pepper.

The most important thing to note is that when grilling pineapple it's always best to grill fresh pineapple. For one thing, it's just better for you. SimplyPreppedMeals.com notes that when pineapple is canned it loses some of its natural vitamins and the sugar content jumps way up since the fruit sits in a sugary juice on the shelf. MasterClass also notes that canned or frozen pineapple will not get the same kind of grill marks on it that fresh will get, so the presentation is nicer when using fresh. 

If you're planning to grill some pineapple keep these tips in mind and your dish is bound to turn out sweet and delicious.