If you've been to a nice cocktail bar in Asia, chances are you saw dried pineapple flowers as a garnish on some drinks. Besides coconut chips and soaked hibiscus flowers, they're one of the most common ways to upgrade the visuals of cocktails or mocktails.
Jump to Recipe | About Pineapple Flowers | Ingredient | How to make it | FAQs
About the garnish
If you follow the steps in our pineapple flowers recipe, these pretty garnishes are actually really easy to make. And the best part is that you don't need special equipment to make them. A mandolin slicer might come in handy, though.
They're excellent garnishes due to many reasons:
- Unique - Dried pineapple garnishes are still not that common. So using them to decorate a drink make your drink stand out.
- Easy - You only need about 10 minutes of preparation before the slices go into the oven. That's it.
- Versatile - You can use these pineapple garnishes in any drink, be it a cocktail or mocktail. You could even use them to garnish desserts, cakes, or every other food.
Ingredient
All you need to make these pretty flowers is one fresh fruit, usually available throughout the year in pretty decent quality. Don't use canned ones since this won't work and will only turn your kitchen into a mess.
Instead, choose a fresh, whole, and ripe pineapple. The skin should still be firm but also slightly soft when squeezing it.
How to Make Pineapple Flowers
The easiest way to make these edible pineapple slices is by using an oven or food dehydrator. The process is similar to making other dehydrated garnishes, like dried citrus fruit. As an oven is available in most households, our guide does focus on that.
Step 1: Preheat - Preheat your oven to 200°F (or 100°C).
Step 2: Prepare the fruit - Remove the top and bottom parts of the pineapple. Also, remove the rind and get rid of the seeds.
Step 3: Slice - Cut the fresh fruit into paper into paper-thin slices. Ideally, you can see through them. The best way to do it is using a mandolin slicer, but you can also cut them with a knife. -The latter requires more skill.
Step 4: Dry - Pat dry the slices with paper towels on both sides before putting them in your oven to dry.
Step 5: Oven - Now place the dried slices onto a parchment-lined baking tray or wire racks. Bake them for 40 - 45 minutes, turn them, and bake again for about 35 minutes.
Step 6: Shaping - This step is optional. You can place the warm and dried pineapple slices into muffin forms to form them into a more realistic flower shape.
Equipment
- 1 Mandolin slicer
Ingredients
- 1 Fresh pineapple
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°F or 100°C.
- Cut off the bottom and top parts of the pineapple. Also, remove the rind and seeds.
- Cut the pineapple into thin slices. The best way to do this is by using a mandolin slicer. If you don't have one, use a sharp knife instead.
- Dry the slices with a paper towel to remove excess moisture in the fruit.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and place the pineapple slices onto the paper. Make sure they don't touch or overlap.
- Bake or dry the pineapple flowers for 40 minutes, then turn them.
- Bake again for 35 minutes, and your slices should be completely dry. If they still feel juicy, pop them back in for another 15 to 20 minutes.
- Optionally, put the warm and dried pineapple slices into muffin forms to shape them.
- Store your dried and edible garnish in an airtight container.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, absolutely. That's one of the best things about this garnish. These dehydrated pineapple slices are made from edible pineapple parts only.
No, canned pineapple is not only soggy and syrupy, but comes without the core of the pineapple that holds the flower together.
Yes, you can do that. The process will take a bit longer, but on the other hand, you don't need to turn the pineapple flowers during the drying process.
Completely dehydrated these flower-shaped garnishes can last up to 2 weeks. If there's still too much liquid in them, they will turn soggy within 2 to 3 days.
The best way to store this edible cocktail garnish is in an airtight container. Here, the dried pineapple will keep for about two weeks.