HOMEMADE PINEAPPLE JUICE and PERA PIÑA JUICE

I am more than convinced homemade juices are better than store-bought ones. By making them at home, you can control the level of sugar and avoid the chemicals and additives found in commercial juices. Today's recipe is literally using the last pulp left of a pineapple. Since I make lots of pineapple jam, I always end up with more than enough pineapple rinds, that make it more than convenient for me to prepare this pineapple juice.

I remember as a child drinking mabi de pina, it’s made by leaving the rinds with water in the refrigerator for 2 days or more, then you add sugar, sieve and done. It occurred to me to make some mabi and it was delicious, but by the third day it continued to ferment and I did not like the taste (that's my opinion, others love it).

I then thought about boiling the rinds with a bit of water, I did and after boiling and blending I ended with a delicious pineapple juice that lasts longer and tastes better. I also make another traditional juice called Pera Piña made with pineapple rind and rice. The two options are delicious. I highly recommend both because they are refreshing and best of all they are not acidic as you may think, but rather mildly soft tasting to the palate.

Homemade Pineapple juice

Ingredients:
The rind of 1 pineapple
Sugar to taste
Water

Preparation:
1. Wash the pineapple well before peeling. Place rinds in a pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer partially covered for at about half hour. Let cool.

Note: Blend with the water used to simmer the rinds.

2. Blend until mixed well (1-2 minutes) and strain.

3. Add sugar to taste. Add water to yield about two quarts. Serve cold or with ice.

Tip: Juices should always be sweetened with the amount of sugar desired with the water at room temperature and not cold unless the recipe calls for cold water. This helps the sugar dissolve quicker.

Pera Piña Juice

The pear pineapple juice "pera piña" is one of the traditional Dominican juices. The combination of the pineapple with rice, has a slight taste of pear juice, and that's why it's called pear pineapple. The traditional recipe is made with pineapple rinds but if you prefer you can prepare it with the whole pineapple. I've prepare it both ways, with the pineapple skin alone and with the whole fruit, both taste great. You may find it odd, but it tastes! It's a creamy pineapple juice with a hint of cinnamon, ideal to drink in the morning or in the afternoon as it is wholesome do to the cereal (rice). My youngest daughter, who is a "picky eater" loved it, so I encourage you to try this recipe.

Ingredients:

Rind of one pineapple (or whole pineapple)
½ cup of rice
sugar or to taste (about 1-2 cups)
1 cinnamon stick (optional)

Preparation:
1. Wash pineapple well before peeling.

2. In a pot, mix the pineapple, rice and cinnamon stick with enough water to cover.

3. Cook on high heat until boiling point is reached, then lower heat and simmer until rice is tender (approx. 30 minutes).

Note: Stir constantly to keep rice from sticking to the bottom and continually add more water if it is necessary.

4. Let cool to room temperature. Remove cinnamon stick and blend. Strain and adjusted the amount of water to 2 to 2 ½ liters of juice.

5. Sweeten to taste. Cool before serving.