Mock Pineapple Zucchini takes the classic canned pantry trick — cooking down garden zucchini with pineapple juice until it turns glassy and jam-like — and simplifies it for the fridge. No water bath, no sterilizing: just a quick simmer until the sugar dissolves and the cubes turn tender and translucent, then a cool-down before it goes into jars. The result is a spoonable, tropical-tasting preserve that’s ready in under an hour of hands-on time and keeps for weeks.
What makes it worth making at home is the zucchini itself. This batch starts with produce grown at Mission Meadows Community Garden, picked at peak summer abundance, so the cubes hold their shape and take on that pineapple-like translucency instead of turning mushy. Spoon it over yogurt, cottage cheese, or pancakes for a taste of late-summer garden surplus any time of year.
Get the Recipe
Mock Pineapple Zucchini
A refrigerator-jar preserve with all the tropical flavor of the classic canned version — no water bath needed, just cook, cool, and keep cold.
Ingredients
US Standard | Metric
- 16 cups1980 gzucchini, peeled, deseeded, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 46 fl oz1360 mlunsweetened pineapple juice
- ½ cup120 mlbottled lemon juice (optional — adds brightness)
- 3 cups600 ggranulated sugar
Instructions
- 1
Prep the zucchini.
Peel, scoop out the seeds and spongy center, and cut into ½-inch cubes — 16 cups total.
- 2
Combine.
In a large non-reactive pot, combine the zucchini, pineapple juice, lemon juice, and sugar. Stir to combine.
- 3
Bring to a boil.
Boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves.
- 4
Simmer.
Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, until the zucchini is tender and takes on a pineapple-like translucency.
- 5
Cool.
Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Let steam escape before sealing — don’t seal in airtight containers while still hot.
- 6
Store.
Transfer to clean airtight containers or jars (no sterilizing needed for fridge use). Refrigerate up to 2–3 weeks, or freeze up to 6 months.
Chef C’s Tips
“Don’t skip letting the steam escape before you seal the jars — trapped heat means trapped moisture, and that’s how you end up with a watery jam instead of a syrupy one.”
“I like my zucchini cut just a touch smaller than ½-inch — it holds its shape but takes on that glassy, pineapple-like translucency faster in the pot.”
“This is my favorite way to use up the zucchini glut from Mission Meadows Community Garden every August — spoon it over cottage cheese or vanilla yogurt for breakfast.”
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (2 Tbsp)