Pineapple Vinegar

I love getting the most out of my food. After all, it's not cheap to eat. Every little bit counts. Not to mention, the amount of food wasted and thrown out in America is ridiculously high, to say the least. I think it's fun to shop frugally, do all I can with what I bring home, and try to minimize the waste. (This is where a compost pile also comes in handy.) Plus, getting the most use out of our food also means I'm getting more nutrients into our bodies.

Making pineapple vinegar is an excellent example of getting the most out of food. This was my first time making it, and it was incredibly easy. I was bummed that I didn't have any whey to throw in there, but plan on doing that eventually. My intentions are to use the vinegar to make Cortido (Latin American Sauerkraut). But I imagine you could use the vinegar in cooking, also. This recipe is from Nourishing Traditions cookbook.

Supplies:
a bowl or other glass container
1 fresh, ripe pineapple
2 quarts filtered water
2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
2 TB whey (optional)

Wash the pineapple off with water. Ideally, you'd want to use an organic pineapple but I don't have access to one right now. I just scrubbed the one I had to get all the nasties off.

Cut off the top and bottom of the pineapple (you don't use these). Sit it right side up, and cut off the skin. Place the skin in your bowl or glass container. Now, keep the pineapple upright and cut it into fours. Slice the core part off of each section and add it in with the skin. Add the spices and water, and cover. Leave it sit out at room temp for 3 days. After 3 days, remove the pineapple skin and core pieces and strain the vinegar. Store it in glass mason jars in the fridge. Could it be any easier? :)




Now, if you've made it this far without eating the rest of the pineapple (who would eat an entire pineapple, right?!), slice it up into chunks. I like to freeze it for using in smoothies. If you want to do this, line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper and spread the pineapple chunks out on the paper. Place it in the freezer until the chunks are completely frozen, then gather them up and place them in a sealed container or ziplock bag. You can do this with other fruit, too. For example, peel some bananas and cut them in half. Lay them on the baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper and freeze, then transfer to a container and store in the freezer. Freshly frozen fruit makes really awesome smoothies!