What Are Pineapple tid-bits and How Can I Use Them?
If pineapple tid-bits have turned up in a recipe or caught your eye at the store, here's what you need to use them with confidence and how to choose them, cook them, store them, what to substitute, and 32 recipes to try them in.
Key Points
- Tidbits are small canned pineapple pieces, between chunks and crushed, sold ready to drain and use.
- Being canned and heat-treated, they set in gelatin and fold into dairy without curdling.
- Their small size spreads pineapple through every forkful, ideal for salads, casseroles, and glazes.
- Drain them well and save the juice; the watery packing liquid thins sauces and sogs bakes.
- Buy juice-packed for control over sweetness; opened fruit keeps 5 to 7 days refrigerated.
What are pineapple tid-bits?
Pineapple tidbits are canned pineapple cut into small bite-size pieces, smaller than chunks and larger than crushed. They are packed in juice or light syrup and sold ready to drain and use, which is the whole appeal: no coring, no peeling, just open and go.
Because they are canned, the fruit has been cooked in the can. That kills the bromelain enzyme, so tidbits set fine in gelatin and fold into dairy without curdling, unlike the raw fruit.
How to Use Pineapple Tidbits
The small size is the point. Tidbits scatter through a dish so a little pineapple lands in nearly every forkful, where big chunks would clump. That makes them the natural pick for salads and casseroles.
They melt into a sweet potato dish like Sweet Potato Casserole (Microwave) and lift fruit salads such as Gumdrop Fruit Salad and a Tropical Puff Pancake. They also ride along in glazes and skillet dinners, adding sweet-tart pops to Hawaiian Pork Chops.
Drain them well first, and save the juice. The packing liquid is sweet and thin, and tipping it into a casserole or stir-fry waters the sauce down; the reserved juice is better spent in the glaze or a dressing.
Pairing and a Common Mistake
Tidbits lean tropical and salty-sweet, so they sit happily with ham, pork, chicken, shrimp, coconut, sweet potato, and bell pepper. In a glaze their acid balances brown sugar and soy.
The mistake to avoid is confusing the packing liquid. Juice-packed tidbits let you control the sweetness; syrup-packed add real sugar, so dropping them into a dish that is already sweet pushes it over. For most cooking, buy juice-packed.
The other slip is skipping the drain on a baked dish, which leaves a soggy, weeping center.
Substitutes
Pineapple chunks are the same fruit cut bigger; chop them down and they become tidbits. Crushed pineapple goes the other way, finer and pulpier, working when you want the flavor blended in rather than in distinct pieces.
Fresh pineapple diced small stands in for raw use. Remember, though, that its live bromelain can curdle dairy or loosen gelatin, so give it a quick cook first if that is a risk.
Canned mandarin orange segments cover color and sweetness in a fruit salad, though they are softer and break down faster.
Buying and Storage
Choose unsweetened juice-packed cans for the most flexibility in cooking. Read the label, since some brands sell tidbits only in light syrup.
Unopened cans keep 12 to 18 months in the pantry. Once a can is open, never store the fruit in the open metal can; move the tidbits and their liquid to a covered container and refrigerate, then use within 5 to 7 days.
They also freeze well in their juice for up to 3 months, handy for smoothies and quick bakes.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup, chunks (181g)Quick facts
Food group: Pineapple tid-bits are a member of the Fruits and Fruit Juices US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.
- In Chinese
- 菠萝TID位
- British (UK) term
- Pineapple tid-bits
- en français
- ananas tid bits
- en español
- piña tid-bits
How much do pineapple tid-bits weigh?
| Amount | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 cup, chunks | 181 grams |
| 1 cup, crushed | 195 grams |
| 1 cup, sliced | 162 grams |
| 1 spear | 26 grams |
Related
Fruits and Fruit Juices
Recipes using pineapple tid-bits
There are 32 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Baked Pancake with Pineapple Sauce
A puffy baked pancake rises dramatically in the oven, then gets filled with warm pineapple-coconut sauce. The edges turn golden and crisp while the center stays custardy and soft.
Tropical Puff Pancake
Made this tropical puff pancake for breakfast today, and made it healthier with whole wheat flour and just egg whites (see the linked recipe below). I used fresh pineapples to make the pineapple sauce, and it was delicious with pancake.
Crockpot Sweet & Sour Chicken Stew with Sweet Peppers
Juicy pineapple, sweet peppers, chicken breasts and carrots in a sweet and sour sauce. Easy slow cooker prep.
Hawaiian Pork Chops
Meaty loin chops cooked in a tropical barbecue sauce, sweetened with pineapple. A taste of the islands.
Spaghetti Fruit Salad
Sweet spaghetti fruit salad with pineapple, apples, a tangy lemon custard dressing, and fluffy whipped topping. A retro potluck favorite that chills overnight for easy entertaining.
Diabetic Elegant Fruit Compote
A vibrant no-cook fruit compote combining pineapple, banana, strawberries, kiwi, and crisp jicama, drizzled with a splash of liqueur. Naturally sweet, diabetic-friendly, and ready in 10 minutes flat.
Tofu Stir Fry
Tofu stir fry with crispy golden tofu and rainbow vegetables in a sweet-spicy coconut, pineapple, and sriracha sauce. A vibrant vegetarian stir fry with a gluten-free option and an almond crunch.
Unbelievable Fruit Salad
Fruit salad with mandarin oranges, pineapple, blueberries, and seedless grapes folded into a whipped cream and sour cream base with grated chocolate candy bars.
Summer Fruit Salad
Summer fruit salad with rice, strawberries, kiwi, grapes, banana, and pineapple tossed in a honey-yogurt-pineapple juice dressing. Light, low-fat, and ready in 25 minutes.
De Luxe Rennet Custard
De Luxe rennet custard, an old-fashioned milk-based pudding set with rennet and dressed up with cranberry sauce, toasted coconut, orange segments, raspberries, walnuts, and pineapple. A vintage dessert that tastes like an ice cream sundae, minus the freezer.
Pineapple Coleslaw
Pineapple coleslaw with shredded cabbage, sweet apple, carrot and pineapple tidbits in a creamy sour cream and mayo dressing. Sweet-tangy summer side that pairs with BBQ, fish tacos or pulled pork.
Quick Curry
This simple and tasty curry dish made with shrimp and pineapple tidbits is the perfect exotic dinner for two.
Pineapple Slaw
Pineapple slaw with shredded cabbage, juicy pineapple tidbits, seedless grapes, and creamy salad dressing. A five-minute sweet-tangy side built for burgers, pulled pork sandwiches, and backyard potlucks.
Fruit & Cheese Pockets
Fruit and cheese pita pockets stuffed with low-fat cottage cheese, diced cheddar, kiwi, pineapple tidbits, and chives for a quick no-cook lunch ready in 10 minutes.
Frogs Eye Salad
Frog eye salad with acini de pepe pasta, mandarin oranges, pineapple, and whipped topping in a sweet pineapple custard dressing. The classic Mormon potluck dessert salad.
Banana Pineapple Cole Slaw
A tropical twist on cole slaw with shredded cabbage, pineapple tidbits, sliced banana, and pecans in a creamy honey-sour cream dressing. No cooking, ready in 30 minutes.
Pineapple Sweet Potatoes
Pineapple sweet potatoes mashed with pineapple tidbits and their syrup for a naturally sweet, tropical side dish. Diabetic-friendly with no added sugar, just five simple ingredients.
Banana Split Salad
A creamy dessert salad loaded with bananas, strawberries, pineapple, and walnuts folded into sweetened cream cheese and whipped topping. All the flavors of a banana split in a bowl.
Tropical Stuffed Cornish Hens
Roasted Cornish hens stuffed with brown rice, pineapple, currants, and macadamia nuts, basted in a sweet red pepper jelly glaze with crystallized ginger. A showpiece dinner for entertaining.
Whipped Delight & Fruit Delight
Whipped cream fruit salad with pineapple, dark cherries, bananas, dates, marshmallows, and chopped nuts. A retro no-cook dessert salad ready in 5 minutes.
Tuna Luau
Sweet and tangy tuna luau simmered with pineapple tidbits, brown sugar, vinegar, and green pepper strips served over hot rice. A tropical-inspired skillet dinner in 45 minutes.
Beets & Pineapple
Glazed beets with pineapple tidbits in a sweet brown sugar and lemon butter sauce. A quick 15-minute side dish using canned beets and pineapple.
Jimmy's Sweet & Sour Meatballs
Stovetop sweet and sour meatballs glazed in tangy pineapple sauce with crisp-tender green peppers in just 40 minutes.
Cashew Chicken & Cantaloupe
A refreshing no-cook chicken salad with cashews, red grapes, pineapple, and celery fanned over cantaloupe wedges. Light, crunchy, and dressed for a summer lunch in 30 minutes.
Orange Sherbet Jello
Creamy orange sherbet jello salad with pineapple, mandarin oranges, and marshmallows makes a nostalgic potluck dessert everyone remembers.
Fat-Free Carrot Cake
Fat-free carrot cake made with yogurt, egg substitute, and wheat germ instead of oil and eggs. Topped with a light cream cheese frosting spiked with almond extract and lemon.
Gumdrop Fruit Salad
Gumdrop fruit salad: a retro church-potluck classic with pineapple, grapes, marshmallows, gumdrops, and pecans bound in whipped cream and a cooked pineapple-lemon dressing.
Sweet & Sour Tuna
Canned tuna gets a serious upgrade in this sweet and sour stir-fry with pineapple, tomatoes, and green pepper. Budget-friendly, feeds 8, and ready in 45 minutes over rice or noodles.
Super Moist Friendship Cake
Super moist friendship cake starts with a 30-day brandied fruit starter, layering peaches, pineapple, and cherries, then bakes into a tender, fruit-and-nut loaf. The shareable holiday baking tradition.
Sweet Potato Casserole (Microwave)
Microwave sweet potato casserole with mashed sweet potatoes, pineapple tidbits, brown sugar, butter, and gooey marshmallows. The holiday classic side dish, ready in 25 minutes without ever turning on the oven.
