Hi Friends! Today I am bringing you a recipe that will liven up any salad dressing, stir-fry, veggie dish or sauce and has many health benefits. I am going to show you how to make raw pineapple vinegar. This recipe was given to me by my husband’s Grandmother, Abue Queta, when we visited her in Mexico over Christmas. It’s sour and tangy like most vinegars but with a hint of pineapple flavor. Enough pineapple flavor to bring new life to boring salads and sautéed greens. It’s easy to make too. I promise.
In December I got the pleasure of meeting my husband’s big Mexican Family in Cuernavaca, Mexico. It was quite the experience. I had no idea what Cuernavaca was like, its size and barely its location. I decided to experience it from a beginners mind and be surprised. For some reason I thought it was a small town in Mexico, but turns out it’s a big city. Crammed with people and beautiful historic buildings. On a clear day in the morning you can see a volcano from Eric’s grandmother’s porch.
I had so much fun exploring the city and seeing Mexico from a local’s point of view. We explored food markets that felt like a maze that only the locals knew how to navigate and took a trip to a quaint, country town. I met Eric’s gigantic family. Each day we were in Cuernavaca, I met a new uncle, aunt or cousin and their families. I got to brush up on my Spanish speaking skills which was a huge bonus and learn to make some fermented foods too.
Eric’s grandmother, Queta, who they affectionately call Abue (which is short for Abuela and means grandmother in spanish) is an amazing soul and wonderful cook. Everyday she would cook us yummy food. We had fresh tortillas on the first day, chicharrón (fried pig skin) tacos , chicken mole verde, bbq ribs, cesina and many more mouth watering dishes. I learned that she made fermented foods of her own; a fermented pineapple drink and raw pineapple vinegar that she showed me how to make.
I couldn’t wait to get home to try the recipes she gave me. I knew they would be amazing based off what a wonderful cook Abue Queta is.
Some of the health benefits of raw pineapple vinegar
Like raw apple cider vinegar, raw pineapple vinegar has much of the same health benefits.
- Improves digestion.
- Reduces inflammation.
- Supports and strengthens the immune system.
- Helps your body absorb nutrients better.
What to expect when making vinegar
Raw Pineapple Vinegar is made with pineapple, brown sugar, cloves and water. All the ingredients are added to a glass jar and covered with a cloth to allow it to breathe. It needs to be stirred every few days to aerate and prevent any mold from growing on the surface. I didn’t experience any mold while making mine, but if you do, just scrape it off the top.
It will start to get bubbly and smell amazing at about 5 days. After a few weeks the liquid will start to get clearer, less cloudy and take on a sour taste and smell.
A mother will start to form on the surface that looks like a kombucha SCOBY. The mother is a combination of bacteria and yeast, is light brown, opaque in color and feels like jelly. You can save the mother and add it to your next batch of vinegar to cut down on fermentation time.
Adding raw vinegar to your diet has many health benefits and raw pineapple vinegar is unlike any vinegar you can buy from the store. Its tangy and sour as expected of vinegar but with a hint of pineapple. You can actually taste pineapple in it. Amazing!
- ½ pineapple
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 whole cloves
- Cut up the pineapple into big chunks and leave the skins on.
- Mix the the brown sugar in 4 cups of water until sugar dissolves.
- Add the pineapple and the sugar water to a glass jar.
- Add in the cloves.
- Cover with a cloth and secure with a rubber band.
- Store in a cool, dark place (away from direct sunlight) for 3-4 weeks.
- Stir the pineapple every few days to aerate it and prevent mold from growing on the surface.
- If mold forms on the surface, scoop it out. Don't worry, the vinegar is still good.
- Taste the vinegar after 3 weeks. If it tastes sour and acidic like vinegar, strain out the pineapple chunks and bottle it. If not, let it ferment for another week. Repeat until it tastes like vinegar.
- Store in a glass container or bottle in your pantry for several months to a year.
I’ve been dreaming up all sorts of uses for this tasty vinegar; salad dressing, stir-fry, marinades and healthy vinegar drinks. Substitute raw apple cider vinegar for this raw pineapple vinegar in my Apple Cider Vinegar And Honey Drink recipe. It’s sooo good!
If you are someone who regularly uses raw apple cider vinegar, give this recipe a shot and use raw pineapple vinegar instead as a nice change. Give it a try and let me know what you think in the comments below.
Resources & Articles
Apple Cider Vinegar And Honey Drink recipe.
What are the health benefits of pineapple?
So Easy Pineapple Vinegar (Oh Sweet Probiotics!)
