Can you use canned pineapple instead of fresh in cake?

Answer 1

No, you cannot make Jell-O (or any Gelatin based dessert) with fresh pineapple. This is due to the presence of an enzyme called bromelain in the pineapple. This enzyme is a protease, which digests (or breaks down) the collagen based gelatin protein. The digested gelatin cannot solidify and you end up with a soup instead of a gel.

Cooked or canned pineapple can be used in gelatin desserts, because the heat used in canning and cooking destroys the bromelain.

More information:

Go ahead and buy your fresh pineapple. Pineapple set with pure Pineapple Juice makes a beautiful jelly, and fresh pineapple tastes much better than canned.

You'll need a setting agent (gelatine) and pineapple juice, both available from your supermarket.

Fresh pineapple and fresh kiwi fruit both contain an enzyme (see above) which prevents jelly, Jell-O, or gelatine, from setting. Because that enzyme is destroyed during the cooking or canning process, the processed pineapple (or kiwi) then can be used in jellies.

So if you have fresh pineapple or kiwi that you want to set in jelly you'll need to cook - poach - the fruit in some way first. The simplest and tidiest way is to cut the fruit into cubes, the size you want for your jelly, and put it in a container (use your jelly mold if it's microwave-safe) with some pineapple (or kiwi) juice, cover, and microwave until the fruit is hot and steaming.

Uncover and cool slightly; add more juice to cover the fruit completely and refrigerate until cold: now you're ready to make jelly.

For the liquid and the setting agent, just buy a carton or bottle of pure pineapple (or kiwi) juice, or other juice you might want to use - any juice must be pasteurized, or otherwise heat-treated, but most juices are; read the label (reconstituted means it'll have been heat treated). Make sure you know how much juice you need to fill your jelly mold (less the space taken up by the diced fruit).

Also buy a packet of gelatine powder. The instructions on the pack will tell you what proportion of gelatine to mix with the juice: just follow that information.

There's no need to add extra sugar even if the juice has no added sugar or other sweetener (and that's the best sort of juice to use for this). The sugar in the fruit is plenty, and you'll keep that delicious tartness, lacking in canned fruit, which gives your jelly a special, super-fresh flavor; sharp but sultry, very tropical.

Of course, you don't have to bother with the gelatine if you'd rather just buy pineapple-flavored jello to mold with your pineapple; truly, though, it's just as quick and no more trouble at all to use gelatine with real fruit juice, and you'll never go back to flavored jello again!

To serve, garnish with fresh crisp mint leaves (put sprigs in a plastic bag in the fridge for an hour or so ahead of time) and offer separate dishes of ice cream and unsweetened whipped cream; your guests or family can decide how much they want.

Chocolate and candied ginger both go well with pineapple, so you might like to shave Dark Chocolate over your jelly (use a potato peeler), or have a bowl of ginger for scattering over.

Answer 2

You can if you want, I think it's better. You probably need to add a little more juice though so it will be moist.

Answer 3

yes you ca i am acutually making jello well last week and i used fresh pineapples :) was yummy

Answer 4

Yes that's what a lot of people do