Pineapple Tastes Like Candy When You Add One Pantry Staple

On the spectrum of fruits with intrinsically confectionery qualities, pineapple is already pretty close to the sweet side. Oh, sure, you might pick a more tart one every now and then, but at its fresh, ripe peak, pineapple can practically taste like a lollipop. Still, a little bit of the brown sugar that you might already have in your pantry will make it all the sweeter, regardless of how lucky you got playing grocery store or supermarket produce roulette.

We know, we know, that any kind of sugar would give whatever it joins more of a candied quality is not particularly revelatory. But this particular transformation is somewhat unique to both the fruit itself and how you actually apply the granulated stuff. For one, the pineapple's substantial sugars make it more conducive to caramelization than plenty of other fruits, even absent further adornment. So it's already on the fast track to candyland. Add the brown sugar and apply a bit of heat, and you've got a one-two punch of caramelization that'll practically pass for a Halloween treat or movie snack. Luckily, some brown sugar-coated pineapple preparations are easier than cobbling together a costume or narrowing down your Netflix picks.

Pineapple is one of those unexpected foods that turn out great on the grill, so do that! Simply core and slice up some rings and sprinkle them with a liberal coating of brown sugar; the circles will develop lovely, flavorful grill lines after just a few minutes on each side. You can also brush on something like simple syrup to help the sugar stick, but a just-cut pineapple should be juicy enough that you won't need it. You can also cube and skewer the pineapple before rolling it in brown sugar and grilling for a similar flavor with a different presentation. Either way, the caramelized fruit is nice on its own, as an ice cream topping, or as a fun tequila cocktail garnish. You can even diverge from the candy-adjacent applications and top your burgers with brown sugar pineapples for a little garnish novelty.

You can easily candy up your pineapple indoors, too, if grilling season is in the rearview or you don't have access to an outdoor cooking setup. You'll prep your rings just like you would for the grill, and instead saute them on the stovetop over medium heat until the sugar begins to soften, or broil them in the oven (with a watchful eye to avoid burning). The same goes for skewers, although you will need to turn them more often to make sure that each square's brown-sugared side meets the heat. Use them just like you would grilled pineapple any time of year.